Best DayZ Game to Play

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Mark LoProto

Mark's favorite gaming genre, hands-down, is the survival horror genre. He loves games to make resources scarce, make the player feel fragile and vulnerable, and then turn the mayhem up to max and see how things go. Outside of survival gaming, Mark usually unwinds after a long gaming session by building LEGOS, or watching a movie.

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The zombie apocalypse is no time to be playing games. However, that doesn’t mean I can’t enjoy a game about the zombie apocalypse. And enjoy them I do as I love to sneak around the decaying world, picking off shamblers, walkers, runners, and crawlers while avoiding other survivors to ensure I see the next sunrise. I always found the DayZ game to be one of the better depictions of the end of the world, and it’s where I enjoy the bulk of my undead escapades.

There are many reasons I flock to DayZ, from its surprising realism to the over-abundance of craftable items and things to do. But one that has always stood out, at least since the game switched from its original mod to the standalone version, is the variety of different ways the game can be played. I’m not talking about playstyles, such as going stealth or preferring to run ‘n gun. This is more like game modes or match types that change the rules and hit players with unique challenges. 

Whether it’s a core mode created by the developer or something cooked up by the quirky minds of DayZ’s expansive player base, the best DayZ game to play we’re going to see in this guide offer experiences that vary in gameplay and goals. Where the main objective was originally to keep low and survive, now players may join a server where the focus is surviving while being as acrobatic and adventurous as possible.

In this instance, the game mode goes against the DayZ grain of low-and-slow, providing an entirely different experience. However, it’s not quite what I’d call the “best” DayZ game out there. While thrilling, the adventure and parkour servers are missing something that only the roleplaying servers have been able to provide.

There is no unfolding story in DayZ, and everyone is just kind of existing. But the roleplaying servers really altered my time in the game, creating some unforgettable moments that led to some surprisingly deep virtual friendships.

Other Ways to Play DayZ

Though the roleplaying servers are the best way to experience DayZ, they’re far from the only ones available. The following isn’t even indicative of the number of players playing or the many different ways one can enjoy DayZ. It’s simply a launching point for something that, because of how DayZ was designed, could have dozens upon dozens of opportunities. 

Some of these game modes require a little interactivity while others let you tackle the game with no other player-controlled characters. All of them deliver some degree of entertainment made possible by the overall expansiveness of the game.

Arma II: DayZ Mod

Before DayZ became a gaming sensation and practically defined the modern survival genre, it was an elaborate mod for the military shooter Arma II. Using assets from the Arma sequel, mod creator Dean Hall fleshed out a surprisingly detailed world full of the undead. Hall’s version of DayZ was the rough cut before he joined Arma II’s developer, Bohemia Interactive, to create a full-release, standalone version of the game. I’ll touch on that one shortly.

The DayZ Mod still appeals to some players, who feel that it’s a wholly better experience than the standalone title that spawned from it. When it was first released, the mod was very well received for its ample survival tactics that posed a still relatively unique challenge interlaced with zombie action.

Standalone

When Behavior Interactive saw how popular the DayZ Mod was, it absorbed Dean Hall into its team to help create a standalone retail version of the mod. The biggest difference between the two was simply that the standalone didn’t need Arma II. There were visual upgrades and some changes to game mechanics, but it took a few years before players were willing to abandon the mod for the standalone game. 

Today, the standalone game is the primary experience players will jump into when they start a game of DayZ. 

Solo Mode

Designed to be a multiplayer game, there wasn’t any urgency to create a single-player mode for players to jump into. Quite frankly, without other players, the world can feel pretty empty. Alas, some found  a way to remove the human element from the game with an offline “Solo Mode.”

To jump into a game alone, all one needs to do is:

• Download the DayZ Community Offline Mode mod
• Create and launch a private LAN server

The most complicated part of playing this mode is configuring the server. To bypass the initial error of trying to launch the solo game mode, you’ll need to alter the Launch Options found in the Properties menu in the Steam DayZ Server. Add -config=serverDZ.cfg under Launch Options, then find the install folder, open “serverDZ.cfg” add a server name, and you’re good to go.

DayZero Malden

DayZ started as a multiplayer experience, but it didn’t take too long until players started to find ways to play on their own. DayZero Malden is the product of such a desire, though it came six years after DayZ’s standalone release. This expansive single-player experience takes the framework of DayZ’s survival and piles onto it a surprisingly rich and engaging story. Unlike the game it’s built upon, Malden has an end-game scenario that players will work toward, but getting to there is no easy feat.

The mod overhauled many aspects of DayZ, including loot tables and the building system, but it was the enemy AI that really enhanced the experience. Increased aggression really amplified the threat of the undead, and an increased presence of bandits only further hindered player progress.

Unfortunately, Malden isn’t receiving any further support from its creators, but the mod still has plenty to it to provide players with a wholly unique single-player DayZ game. 

Zen Virus

DayZ has had a wound indicator for some time, and the longer a wound is left, the more likely it is to become infected and kill the player. But what was missing from the core game was a viral infection passed along by a zombie attack. The Zen Virus mod makes the zombies an even bigger threat with a debilitating viral infection that will ultimately kill the player.

The Zen Virus works much like typical infections, but if left untreated, can start to cause auditory hallucinations. Few things are more unsettling than meandering around in the dead of night as whispers and footsteps follow from all directions. It’s okay, thought. Hallucinations are an early symptom, giving you plenty of time to administer tetracycline and vitamins. Once your character starts vomiting blood or laughing uncontrollably, though, there’s not much that can be done.

Zen Virus puts the virus that started the outbreak in the spotlight and sends players on the hunt for supplies needed to manufacture a cure. Though it’s a change in mechanics and not the actual scope of the game, this mod adds an additional sense of peril and changes player focus when it comes to handling zombies.

Deathmatch Severs

This is maybe the most straightforward way to play DayZ as players engage one another in a firefight to the death. Rather than focus solely on making it from one day to the next, deathmatch emphasizes seeking out and taking down player-controlled enemies. Played on Player vs Player (PvP) servers, all of the game’s mechanics are intact, but there’s more loot to grab and more bullets to exchange on the battlefield. As tense as the survival aspect of the game was, knowing you’re actively being hunted keeps you on edge far more than the prospect of running across a horde of zombies.

DayZ PvE Servers

Don’t want to deal with human-controller enemies and want to focus solely on the undead threat? Player vs Environment (PvE) servers remove the human threat as players work together to loot for supplies, build shelter, and survive the days. PvE servers are a more casual experience that makes it easier to enjoy the mechanics of the game as the zombies aren’t as much of a threat when you’re not traveling alone.

Key Details About Roleplaying Servers

So, what differentiates roleplaying servers from other servers? It’s all about the agreed-upon purpose of said server. For example, a deathmatch server is strictly reserved for PvP firefights. In the case of roleplaying servers in DayZ, the idea is that each player fills a specific role that works within the overarching concept of the world. Think of The Elder Scrolls and how every important character is critical to the story. In DayZ roleplaying servers, every human-controlled character is similar in concept.

One player may join the server as a lone survivor whose family was slaughtered in front of their eyes by bandits. Another may have been a scientist on the front lines whose hopes were dashed when all attempts at a cure failed. The best part of a DayZ roleplaying server is you get to be whoever you want, and your story can be as elaborate as you wish. 

Why Roleplay? 

When you load into a standard game of DayZ, you’re just a survivor trying to make it from one day to the next. Outside of your physical appearance, you have no personality, and there’s no reason to put effort into creating one. You’re a shell that needs to eat, sleep, and drink. Adding a roleplaying element gives your character a deeper purpose. 

Think of someone like Joel in The Last of Us. He may be just trying to survive the post-apocalyptic world, but he’s also driven by a purpose. Especially when Ellie enters his life. Because he has a purpose and a reason for existing in The Last of Us’ story, we, as the audience, are invested in his plight.

Roleplaying games offer a deeper connection to the character you’re controlling. In many instances, this is in the form of character creation and upgradable skill trees that allow us to build someone we want to play as. There is a little character customization in DayZ, but it’s not to the degree that you’d get invested. A survivor with a full history and a clearly defined goal is someone that’s much easier to care about. You’ll want to know how their story ends. And in DayZ, they always end.

How to Play DayZ Roleplaying

There are two ways to start roleplaying in DayZ, and one is far quicker than the other. You could always just start doing it and build your own narrative as you navigate the undead world. Granted, this isn’t the most exciting way to roleplay as you’re likely to be the only one in on the story, but there’s nothing wrong with using your imagination.

The other way to roleplay in-game is to join a DayZRP roleplaying server. DayZRP is an entire community of active DayZ players that want the roleplaying experience you’re seeking. Unlike with regular servers, everyone is in on the concept, which is loading into the game with little more than your story and a potentially hopeful future. 

There are a few steps to joining DayZRP, and these are:

1. Create an account at DayZPR.com
2. Apply for the Whitelist
3. Create your unique character, including their story
4. Install DayZRP Mod

When loading DayZ with the roleplaying mod, be sure select “Run DayZ Launcher” from Steam. You can find this option by right-clicking the game from your library. With DayZ and the DayZRP mod installed, you’ll want to double-check to ensure all required mods are enabled and launched in the proper order. 

To do this, go to “Mods” in the launcher and ensure all mods listed on the DayZRP.com Server Collection page are listed under “Loaded Mods.” While the order of every mod isn’t important, “Community Framework (CF)” should be loaded first and “DayZRP” should be loaded last. This prevents script errors when you launch the game.

Finally, before you can play, you’ll need to set your character’s parameters. Go to “Parameters” in the game’s listing on Steam and, under “Profile Name” put the character’s name exactly as you spelled it when building them on DayZRP.com.

Now it’s time to enjoy the depth and immersion of roleplaying in DayZ.

Adding a Layer to Zombie Survival

DayZ is fun on its own, don’t get me wrong. I can load into a regular server and spend hours just trying to survive without any bells and whistles. However, those bells and whistles certainly aren’t a bad thing, and the roleplaying servers of DayZ help enhance the user experience.

If there’s one thing that many games in the survival genre are missing, it’s a sense of heart. The characters are flat and one-dimension, and you only care about them because when they die, you lose everything you worked hard for. When you roleplay and build your character’s entire history, suddenly you start to care quite a bit more.

DayZRP servers are an incredible way to give the game an upgrade, especially if you’ve been playing it to death since its launch. There are some truly fascinating people out there who have built engaging characters and storylines, and their efforts change the landscape and sometimes make DayZ unrecognizable – in a good way, of course.

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