What is the point of a private server?

[sidereal6 1]

I hope this isn't a stupid question. My buddies and I have been playing on public servers and we just got tired of the hackers, so we decided to get a private server. We've met dozens of nice people (even nice bandits) playing DayZ and thought we'd invite them to play with us.

So I payed ViLayer $50 and I now have a shiny new server.

I google around for how to put a password on this server and I find the START HERE thread on this forum that says, "The server MAY NOT be passworded" and there's also a thread titled Server Hosting Questions that says, "Can I host a server for my clan? Yes, you can. We encourage clans to set up a server to act as their home. What you cannot do, however, is to restrict the server to your clan only."

So again, I hope this isn't a stupid question. What exactly is the point of getting a server? What did I just buy?

I've bought servers from companies like ViLayer before for other games for this same purpose - so that my buddies and I can play with only people we know are cool. It seemed like a reasonable assumption that we'd do the same in DayZ. I don't need to be on the public hive. I'm not trying to farm gear. I'm trying to avoid being teleported out to sea or just instantly killed by a guy driving a black range rover (as happened today).

Am I alone in thinking this way?

Can anyone explain to me what the point of a private server is, if it's not private?

[idunc 62]

If you want a server for just you and your buddies, get an unofficial one. You know, off the hive, or a private hive, or whatever it's called. I'm not exactly sure how that works, but that's a way you can do it. Of course, if you try to join a server that's on the official hive, you won't have any of the gear from your private hive.

[Venzire 76]

Private Servers and passwording on them is now allowed. Do NOT password a COMMUNITY server.

[PersonalJ 5]

We don't offer private servers, the databases are shared so you can not password them. We will be allowing the ability to make the package servers private and have them use a separate database in the near future however.

[ChernoPTA 160]

I'm hoping my host starts offering this option soon.

While private hives don't ward off hackers, they do defeat a couple of issues that I feel completely ruin a server experience.

1) Ghosting

2) Gear Migration

Ghosting sucks cause nothings more annoying that putting a lot of time into creating a defensible base only to have an assault force log in INSIDE it with absolutely no warning. Thats not realistic, nor does it even take any skill.

Gear migration sucks cause you can open a completely fresh DayZ server right now and in two days you'll have duper camps popping up on it where people are basically moving their gear from their previous server to yours then duping it all 20 times over and thus there is no scarcity of supply in regards to anything.

With a private hive you don't really have to worry about either. Though while duping can still be an issue (not as big an issue though as private hives can have far faster save state response times and can be much harder to dupe on because of it) no one can carry an AS50 from somewhere else to your server, and then dupe it 20 times and arm half your server with AS50's.

And the fact that people can't ghost into your defensive positions actually sort of makes the game as it was intended to be played, people can actually try to survive on a private hive. And if you want someones stuff you have to fight them for it, you can't just ghost in and raid their tents while they're away or offline.

So overall, while private hives are not more secure from hackers, they do remove two elements of the public Hive DayZ version that I feel are some of the largest problems with DayZ outside of hackers.

I will definitely be disconnecting from the public Hive as soon as my host finds a way to do so without getting all their IP's blacklisted for doing it.

[sidereal6 1]

We don't offer private servers, the databases are shared so you can not password them. We will be allowing the ability to make the package servers private and have them use a separate database in the near future however.

First of all, it's totally my fault for not understanding this before purchasing. I admit that.

With that out of the way, can you explain to me exactly what I'm supposed to do with this thing I bought? In what possible way does it benefit me to have a server? Why would anyone pay for one?

Also, I am apparently on the private ViLayer hive. And I see in DayZ Commander a lot of servers that are password protected.

[SqTH 260]

Private Servers and passwording on them is now allowed. Do NOT password a COMMUNITY server.

And if I do, what are you going to do, capslock me to death ?

Let's lol a bit, I don't password them, but I install a whitelist system. Not forbidden, and you can't get in.

You mad, potato ?

[Torndeco (DayZ) 46]

Well with vilayer private servers, u got choice of multiple maps etc...

There is some nice backend changes in the works if u read the last mail of backend changes, there is some nice changes it seems in the works. i.e beening able to wipe a server clean

Also in lingor i.e when someone alt+f4 out they are standing up right for 30secs... no more worrying about combat loggers....

And as admin u can basicly ban / Kick someone at will if u wanted

U can alter max vehicles + turn on/off sidechat, autoupdating scripts.txt + bans etc

And since vilayer private servers share the same hive, people can jump onto your server & others vilayer servers and keep the same gear etc... its like a sharded mmo

The main problem is u were thinking of it as a private locked / passworded server.

Instead of server sharded with no real admin rules + some nice added features

---------

Also i just checked & i dont see any vilayer private servers passworded / locked.

Try filter the list by name i.e DayZUtes / DayZChernarus / DayZLingor

[ersan 219]

People prefer to have their own server simply because it means they'll be able to gather the vehicles they need before other players can come and take them. Consequentially, your server becomes a sort of home base for you and your friends to play on because you build your camp on it and have maximum mobility on it.