A How-To on properly joining servers and minimize chances of fail for everybody

[RPlasticPirate (RP) 4]

Hi everybody I'm RP and I've been watching the live stream with PCGamer and stalking all of you, read some stuff and talked to the dev's a little. Its really late/early morning so there might be errors but generally expect it to hold water and if you have questions I'll see if I can get a dev to answer.

Anyway: here are some easy steps and tips on properly joining servers and minimize chances of fail for everybody :P

1. Know this is an Alpha which is basically software speak for something little better than a prototype and fail is gonna happen from time to time even if you do everything correct. Currently even when you get in you can get disconnected. In that regard pro tip: Red chain icon means you are possibly out of sync with the server so if it stays on for more than a few seconds it will start count and then you as good as lost but very often its just normal internet that is stealing your packages for a while and something everyone will experience from time to time. Yellow BTW is actually much worse contrary to common belief and means its confused about the packages of information its receiving from the server so that is often a unrecoverable situation. So you might want to not go into combat if ether icon is lit for more than a few seconds.

Currently at lot of the servers restart a few times a day and the dev team is swamped helping server admins and helping new server admins in so we can haz moar!

2. Know if your real life time zone is day or night - look out side or at our watch - night time is roughly 5-10 times harder depending on realism of server etc. so if you are new to DayZ it might not be a good idea to join a server after 8-10 PM local SERVER TIME. This means if you are in the EU like me you can join a US server with reasonable ping like NY and get a few more hours of sunlight! Just be aware that Asian & Aussie servers usually kick EU and NA players as we have too high a delay (ping/roundtime delay) and it will badly affect everyone so they rightfully have auto kicking so we don't spoil their fun.

3. Plan your joining with friends and generally always, always try to join a server that's less than ~60% full. If you know your going to have others join or you want to play with them its recommend you all go back to the server selection and select one with between 0-20 players for the 40 or more slot servers. The servers tend to fill quickly and the worst thing people can do to the back-end is everyone trying to join a the same few nearly full servers. Which brings us to:

4. Don't disconnect before at least 10 minutes have gone by if you are joining a server that's more than half full or you are playing in peek hours. People disconnecting and connecting leaving a really heavy burden on the back-end and its a big no-no! This will not help you join faster it will actually make it worse for everyone and you somewhat simplified go into the back of a queue. If you make it to "Requesting data from server" chances are you are probably going to make it into game.

5. If you join a server with few people it will fill quickly and everyone will get in within very short time if you are not 10 people connecting at the same time. BTW generally the back-end isn't overloaded - when we experience long loads its the servers that are too full so join a server with less people on it.

6. Please don't suicide to get a better starting location - its really bad okay?

7. When a server crashed expect it to take time to start up. Then BTW you might consider starting on another server as just rebooted servers take a long time to get into if all 50 people are trying to connect. It simply spams and spikes on the back-end so it takes way, way longer than necessary even thought the next server with 5 people on it may get you instantly back into the fight. Also if your group go else where the other server will fail less so everybody will get in faster.

8. Remember: Since we all play with the same persistent world your actions not just in-game are affecting everybody!

Additional tips:

- If you make it to "Requesting data from server" chances are you are probably going to make it into game.

- When you are a bird something went wrong and you need to disconnect and try again completely.

- If you are unable to move and in the forest after 10 minutes have past 9 out of 10 times you are not going to make it.

- Peek hours are late night EU, early evening NA as with most online games. On top some EU players move to NA servers after dark as the dark is really, really scary and I want my mother please where is my mother?

**edited for tips**

[Frito Pendejo ☠ 4]

sticky medal nao!

[RPlasticPirate (RP) 4]

TL:DR pointers:

- If the server is nearly full take one that is half empty as you join nearly instantly - tell you friends to join you not their full server - your world is the same.

- Don't D/C and rejoin nearly full server - it will just make it worse for the back-end for everyone and simplified you are going back to end of the back-end queue :D

- Don't D/C before at least 10 minutes has goon - it takes time to login on the servers that are almost full - but really you should join a half empty one.

[rocket 16567]

And also: Please don't suicide to get a better starting location.

[Disgraced 1123]

And also: Please don't suicide to get a better starting location.

I do this, frankly.

I play games with my fianceé. We have an offline map and if we are reasonably close, we meet up. If, however, we are at opposite ends of the map, we've discovered that its ... Not the best experience trying to meet up across those kilometers of hostile ground... So one of us will respawn because we spent most of last weekend either trying or connect, running toward one another or getting sniped.

L

[oilman 72]

sticky medal nao!

Made it so.

[Altman 4]

should definatly be a way to start with a group if you wanted too

[Bandit Hunter 29]

Most important tip: "Is anyone else waiting for server response"

Yes.

[Stealth Pyro 3]

Sorry but I have to disagree with the "don't suicide to respawn at a different location." I'm not going to spend 40 minutes to get to my friend's location (or longer considering bandits WILL kill you) when I can respawn twice and spawn 2 minutes away. What difference does it make if I get killed 4 times by a bandit and respawn anyways, versus just respawning once or twice to get closer to my friends?

There should be some sort of ability to spawn where we want. Not an exact location of course, but maybe a general region such as SW, SE, NE, etc... This would make playing with friends a much more tolerable experience. You know people are going to just suicide repeatedly to spawn where they want, so why not just take the preventative measure and reduce the stress on the server by coming up with a way to choose spawn location? I'm aware it may be a limitation in the mod's current stages of course. :)

[RPlasticPirate (RP) 4]

QQ's

Reality sucks - deal with it or play Dead Island something crappy.

[Stealth Pyro 3]

^ ? I wasn't QQing, but thanks. I've only died 3 times or so in this game, but I'd simply respawn as much as I need when I do die :). I was simply making a suggestion that giving everyone the option of spawning in a general region that they want would lessen the strain on the server from them suiciding multiple times to spawn where they wanted. Without such spawn option, they're simply going to suicide and respawn as much as they feel fit regardless. The idea makes perfect logical sense.

[musicrab 5]

(for UK players) stuff gets a bit hectic after 3PM (kids home from school). This is a good time to try eastern US (eg NY) servers.

[interista 0]

" Please don't suicide to get a better starting location "

I'm doing that all the time :D

[musicrab 5]

OR don't die.

[Walter (DayZ) 0]

Reality sucks - deal with it or play Dead Island something crappy.

Reality? Are you talking about magically appearing in a random location? Yes.. very real :rolleyes:

[Docs 0]

can anyone explain to me why my game is hanging on "receiving data" when i try to join a server? either that or i get in and cant move from my location and there is some really faint writing on the screen that i cant make out

[mansen 1]

Valid arguments and in fact not QQ.

QQ and dickish response

Fixed it for you.

[Igor (DayZ) 96]

Sick guide!

[Smex 1]

..

either that or i get in and cant move from my location and there is some really faint writing on the screen that i cant make out

The faint writing is saying that you connected to a server that isn't the same version as your game. Before you connect, check the version.

[Sarcasmo 2]

DEAL WITH IT OR GO PLAY SOMEWHERE ELSE!

This is such a 10 year old's response to something. It's embarrassing to see adults type that.

[xTh3WhiteNinjax 0]

And also: Please don't suicide to get a better starting location.

I was hoping you could help me solve a problem I am having when joining a server. Actually joining the server isn't the problem, but when I spawn on the beach my character becomes invisible when I go into third person and I cant see my HUD. Any suggestions on how to fix this problem?

[Maniacmike (DayZ) 24]

To be fair I suicide.

Real life is to busy to spend 30mins meeting up with someone on DayZ

[Michaelvoodoo25 3120]

I always find it fun and hilarious meeting up with friends where ever they spawn, if I spawn at one end and I have to catch up I generally find we don't need to go to x for this or that item, as I find it on my way back to them.

It's part of the fun finding your way around.

OP beans for you sir.

[Maniacmike (DayZ) 24]

To be fair I suicide.

Real life is to busy to spend 30mins meeting up with someone on DayZ