How to choose a Server

[Wallace (DayZ) 19]

Hi my name is Wallace and I've been playing for a couple weeks.

Here are my questions.

How do I make a smart decision on what server is best for me?

I start up Dayz commander and the only things I really understand when I see these servers are the country, ping, Dayz version, and number of players.

I don't know which of these are connected to the main Dayz official Hive.

I don't know what the Different numbers after Beta mean, and why there different on different servers that all run the same 1.7.2.6, or how these affect me.

I don't know the difference between HFB, Vilayer, SurvivalServers, etc. hosting.

I don't know whether private hives or official ones are more likely to give me a smoother better performing experience.

I don't know what Bliss is.

I don't know what it means when it says the server restarts at x, y, and z times, or what happens after a server restarts.

I don't know why sometimes I can find a server and sometimes I cant.

I don't know much really.

I want to play on one server, but I want the option to switch to another server in the case I feel the one I'm on isnt working for me anymore.

I want a smooth gameplay experience, which I get on some servers, but other servers I play on are choppy and just unplayable.

I want to really enjoy this game, and not spend the first 40 mins of gameplay trying to find a server that performs and has an active community.

I want the most out of my game, and I believe my lack of knowledge on servers, how they work, and which ones are optimal for me personally, are hindering me.

Thanks for your time, and if you can answer any of these questions I would truly appreciate it.

Edited October 21, 2012 by Wallace

[TouRzx 3]

just generally choose the server with the lowest ping

[Fraggle (DayZ) 15720]

With regards to choosing a good server I would say find a good private one with an active community. If they have their own forums or at least a way of having a dialogue with the admins then that is very usefull. Anyone can set up a server but you'll need to find one where the admins take an active role on managing the community and providing a safe and fun environment. It can take a while but when you do your DayZ experience will become 10 times more fun.

[otherd 5]

With dayz commander click all the options to eliminate wrong game versions and sort by ping.

I think I might go with what Fraggle said. I have thus far been on public servers. Unfortunately every weekend on my current server (where I have 2 tents) every tent gets crushed and all vehicles get teleported to a single location...

Private Servers don't have this problem as frequently I'd hope.

[flygamer1 176]

I don't know the difference between HFB, Vilayer, Survival Servers, etc. hosting.

For example vilayer. If you create a character on this hive you will be able to save it and play on all servers connected to vilayer but only 1 in chernarus - lingor etc. If you make 1 in chernarus and you decide you wanna play on lingor instead you will have to make a new.

I don't know whether private hives or official ones are more likely to give me a smoother better performing experience.

From what i know it depends on the hoster. If he got terrible computer you will most likely lag or get bad fps rate. Also zombies can drop you're fps incredible much unless you got a stable computer.. Choose server wisely.

I don't know what it means when it says the server restarts at x, y, and z times, or what happens after a server restarts.

Server restarts are to ``refresh servers`` meaning maybe admin found glitch and a server restart can fix it. or other things

I don't know why sometimes I can find a server and sometimes I cant.

Happens to everyone at some point either server is offline, dead, restarting or it can't be found fix by refreshing alot in commander.

That's what i know i alos mad this fast for you explaining what some of the options in dayzommander means

http://i47.tinypic.com/23l7us.png

possible i got something wrong made it in 1min

Edited October 21, 2012 by flygamer1

[Fraggle (DayZ) 15720]

With dayz commander click all the options to eliminate wrong game versions and sort by ping.

I think I might go with what Fraggle said. I have thus far been on public servers. Unfortunately every weekend on my current server (where I have 2 tents) every tent gets crushed and all vehicles get teleported to a single location...

Private Servers don't have this problem as frequently I'd hope.

If it's well run you'll never have that issue. They have many more tools for dealing with hackers than public hives too.

[ast65 11]

I find it comfortable to have several characters in use:

one for public servers and two more on different private hives

so you can switch as you like depending on time zone or player amount e.g.

I´ve seen no big difference between public and private lately;

you can run into hackers on both but the situation isn´t as bad anymore as it was a month or two ago

rule of thumb: join low to medium populated servers and you´ll probably have no hacker contacts at all :P

[Bizzyb 9]

1) Find a low ping with medium to high number of players. This way if it maintains with 30/40 people on it, consistently, you can assume it runs smooth for you. DO NOT assume the server closest to you is your fastest. While im on a NY based server most of the time (im from NJ), a chicago one also runs smooth for me, even a EU one I accidentally stumbled upon. If youre on public hive, honestly just find low ping and if you get ANY lag switch servers. Dont give bad servers the benefit of the doubt, active admins clean it/ban hackers from it quickly. Ive noticed tore up servers always have some sluggish feel to them, so pick one with active communities even if you have no desire to "join" any facet in particular or at all because they are the safest. You WILL end up dying to a hacker, its inevitable, networking on banning them all from everywhere- is any legit players duty. Even the delightfully ironic ones who happily admit to it, but call themselves the "good" kind. You find them face planted in a christmas box as they say it too.

2) Server restarts on most servers are a refresh. Bodies, stray loot, destroyed vehicles, helicopter crashes, ect all reset. The busted vehicles could respawn at their original location or have a chance to somewhere else as different vehicle, some servers have additional vehicle spawn locations so the randomness is exponential. Then at server restart I found it where I got it a few days before.

3) Bliss is a private hive type, that gives more control over the server then normal. Ive found bliss to almost always have those random spawns/changes always in my favor, so I get why its called bliss.

Rest I dont know much on, ive only been playing 2 weeks and sadly not much time in. Explore- posted maps miss a lot of custom tweaks that act as real surprises.