How to Install the Deer Isle Map on a DayZ Server

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For the standard DayZ Expansion setup, install DeerIsle and every required dependency from the Steam Workshop, upload the matching Expansion mission folders to your server’s mpmissions directory, set template="Expansion.DeerIsle" in serverDZ.cfg, disable Expansion’s spawn-selection feature, and restart. The same mission name, map files, and mod versions must be present on the server and every client.

What a Deer Isle installation actually includes

Deer Isle is not only a Workshop download. A working server has three separate layers:

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• Map and mod files: DeerIsle and its dependencies, installed through the host’s Steam Workshop integration or your own server-management system.
• Mission files: The map-specific server folders that define the world, economy and other mission data. On a hosted Windows server these belong under mpmissions.
• Mission selection: The Missions section in serverDZ.cfg, which tells DayZ which mission template to load.

Installing only the Workshop item can leave the server with no matching mission, while uploading a mission without its mods produces missing-mod errors. Treat the map package and the mission package as one versioned installation.

Required Workshop content for the Expansion workflow

Add each of the following entries in your host’s Steam Workshop panel. The same dependency set is used by the hosted-server procedures documented for Deer Isle:

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Load all seven on the server and make the same content available to players. A client that lacks one of the required items will normally be refused at connection time with a missing-mod message.

Before you change the server

• Stop the DayZ server before editing files or replacing a mission folder.
• Make a copy of serverDZ.cfg, the existing mpmissions directory and the server profile directory. This gives you a rollback if the new mission fails to start.
• Confirm which DayZ branch your host is running. Mission files and map releases must match the current stable or experimental branch you intend to use; do not mix files from different branches without checking compatibility.
• Keep an administrator or console access method available. A malformed configuration can prevent a normal start, so you may need the host’s file manager or startup log to recover.

Install Deer Isle on a hosted server

1. Add the Workshop mods

1. Open your hosting control panel and go to its Steam Workshop or mod-management page.
2. Add DeerIsle, DayZ-Expansion, DayZ-Expansion-Licensed, DayZ-Expansion-Core, DayZ-Expansion-Vehicles, Community-Online-Tools and CF.
3. Save or apply the list, then allow the host to download the files. If the panel exposes a load order, keep the framework dependencies available before the content that uses them.

Do not assume that installing DeerIsle alone is sufficient. The Expansion mission references the other packages, and clients need the same dependency set.

2. Download and upload the Expansion mission files

1. Download the latest DayZ Expansion mission archive from the Expansion project’s distribution source.
2. Extract the archive on your computer. Preserve the folder structure; do not upload only individual JSON files.
3. Connect with FTP or open the host’s file manager and locate the server’s mpmissions directory.
4. Upload the extracted mission folders directly into mpmissions. The folder that supplies the Deer Isle Expansion mission must remain in the path expected by the template.
5. Check the resulting path before continuing. A common mistake is creating an extra level such as mpmissions/mission-archive/Expansion.DeerIsle when the host expects the mission folder directly under mpmissions.

Keep the archive’s folder names intact. Renaming a mission directory can make the template point to a location that does not exist.

3. Select the Deer Isle mission in serverDZ.cfg

Open serverDZ.cfg in the server’s main configuration directory and find the Missions block. Set the DayZ template to Expansion.DeerIsle:

class Missions {
    class DayZ {
        template="Expansion.DeerIsle";
    }
}

1. Replace the existing DayZ template value rather than adding a second competing class DayZ block.
2. Use the spelling and capitalization exactly as shown: Expansion.DeerIsle.
3. Save the file as plain text, retaining the .cfg extension.

This value is the documented hosted-server mission template. If the server starts on Chernarus or another previous map, the template value or the mission-folder location is the first place to check.

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4. Disable Expansion spawn selection for Deer Isle

The documented Expansion workflow warns that Deer Isle does not support the newer spawn-selection feature unless you configure its coordinates extensively. Leaving the feature enabled can produce errors, invalid coordinates or an unusable spawn screen.

1. Start the server once if necessary so it creates the Expansion profile tree.
2. Stop the server after that first start.
3. Open profilesExpansionModSettingsSpawnSettings.json.
4. Find the setting "EnableSpawnSelection": 1.
5. Change it to "EnableSpawnSelection": 0, preserving the JSON punctuation and quotation marks.
6. Save the file.

{
    "EnableSpawnSelection": 0
}

If your profile directory uses a host-specific root, follow the same relative path beneath that root. Do not create a second copy of the file in mpmissions; this setting belongs to the Expansion profile settings tree.

5. Restart and verify the load

1. Start the server after saving both serverDZ.cfg and SpawnSettings.json.
2. Watch the startup log for the Deer Isle mission and for mod-loading errors.
3. Join with a client that has all seven Workshop dependencies installed and updated.
4. Confirm that the server browser and in-game environment show the Deer Isle terrain rather than the previous mission.
5. Move far enough from the initial area to confirm that the map is fully streamed and that the character remains in the intended world.

The installation guides document the configuration steps, not a guaranteed frame rate or server-performance result. Treat a successful start and a clean client connection as configuration checks, not as a performance benchmark.

Why the spawn setting matters

Expansion’s spawn-selection interface expects a configured set of spawn coordinates. Deer Isle’s documented setup avoids that dependency by turning the feature off. If you later build and validate your own Deer Isle coordinate list, you can revisit the setting, but do not enable it during the initial installation unless you have deliberately configured and tested those coordinates.

• Symptoms of leaving it enabled: spawn-selection errors, bad or inaccessible coordinates, or a join that never reaches normal gameplay.
• Initial fix: set EnableSpawnSelection to 0, restart, and test again.
• File to edit: profilesExpansionModSettingsSpawnSettings.json, not serverDZ.cfg.

Offline or local installation

The offline workflow uses a different mission-folder convention from the hosted Expansion template. It is useful for testing files before deploying them to a remote server.

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1. Subscribe to DeerIsle in Steam.
2. Let the DayZ launcher finish downloading the Workshop content.
3. Run the latest stable or experimental game version that matches the mission files you plan to use.
4. Extract the offline mission package and locate the ExpansionCOM.DeerIsle folder.
5. Place that folder inside the DayZ Missions folder.

ExpansionCOM.DeerIsle is the folder name used by the offline repository; it is not a replacement for the hosted server’s Expansion.DeerIsle template. Keep the two workflows separate and use the path required by the launcher or server environment you are actually running.

Linux or container deployment

A containerized server needs the same three map ingredients as any other deployment: map files, a mission path inside those files and a matching mission template. ServerZ’s Deer Isle example uses a minimal community-map configuration rather than the full Expansion dependency list above.

The example identifies V5.9 as the current repository folder at the time that documentation was written. Map repositories can change their folder names, so inspect the repository before deployment and update all three related values together:

• MAP_URL must fetch the intended map release.
• MISSION_PATH must point inside that same release to the mission directory.
• TEMPLATE must match the mission name expected by that directory.

Do not copy the hosted Windows value Expansion.DeerIsle into this container example unless the container image actually contains an Expansion mission with that name. The Linux example’s empty.deerisle template belongs to its own map files and path.

Choosing a deployment method

Troubleshooting Deer Isle installation problems

The server starts on the wrong map

• Open serverDZ.cfg and verify that the active DayZ class contains template="Expansion.DeerIsle".
• Check that the mission folder was uploaded directly beneath mpmissions, without an accidental archive-directory level.
• Make sure the server was fully restarted after the edit; changing a stopped file does not alter an already running process.

Clients report missing mods

• Compare the client’s Workshop subscriptions with the server list: DeerIsle, all four DayZ Expansion entries, Community-Online-Tools and CF must be present.
• Allow Steam or the host panel to finish updating before testing again.
• Ensure the server is not loading an older mod directory while the client has a newer version.

Spawn selection throws errors or gives bad coordinates

• Stop the server and open profilesExpansionModSettingsSpawnSettings.json.
• Set "EnableSpawnSelection": 0.
• Restart and test a normal join. Only turn the feature back on after you have supplied and tested Deer Isle-specific coordinates.

The server reports a mission-path error in a container

• Confirm that MAP_URL resolves to the repository or release you intended to use.
• Check that MISSION_PATH includes the real version directory and ends at the mission folder.
• Match TEMPLATE to the mission folder name. For the documented example, those values are the V5.9 path and empty.deerisle.
• Verify that the required UDP ports, 2304 and 27017 in that example, are exposed by the container and host firewall.

The installation worked on one DayZ branch but not another

Use mission files compatible with the active stable or experimental branch and with the Deer Isle release you downloaded. The offline workflow explicitly distinguishes stable and experimental versions; changing branches without changing compatible mission and mod files can create startup or connection failures.

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Updating without breaking the mission

1. Record the currently working Workshop and mission versions before updating.
2. Stop the server and back up serverDZ.cfg, mpmissions and profilesExpansionModSettings.
3. Update the map and dependencies through the host panel or your container’s version mechanism.
4. Download a mission archive that matches the updated map and DayZ branch; replace the mission folders as a complete set rather than mixing files from releases.
5. Recheck template="Expansion.DeerIsle" and confirm that EnableSpawnSelection remains 0 unless you intentionally configured spawn coordinates.
6. Start the server, inspect the log, and join with a client updated to the same Workshop versions.

For containers, update MAP_URL, MISSION_PATH and TEMPLATE as one change whenever the repository’s version folder changes.

What to verify before inviting players

Run one complete test with a cleanly updated client rather than relying only on the server’s “running” status. Confirm that the server browser lists the expected instance, the startup log names the intended mission, and a player can reach normal gameplay without a missing-mod prompt. Check the initial spawn location, then travel to another area so you know the terrain and mission data are loading beyond the first cells.

Keep the working copies of serverDZ.cfg, mpmissions and the Expansion settings together. If you hand the server to another administrator, include the exact Workshop list, the DayZ branch, the mission template and the profile setting. This prevents a later “repair” from replacing Expansion.DeerIsle with a native map template or re-enabling spawn selection.

There is no installation-time performance guarantee attached to these configuration steps. Capacity, frame rate and network behavior depend on the host and server configuration, so treat the first successful join as a functional check and monitor the server separately.

Installation checklist

• DeerIsle and the six documented dependencies are installed on the server.
• Clients have the same Workshop content.
• Expansion mission folders are directly under mpmissions.
• serverDZ.cfg contains template="Expansion.DeerIsle".
• profilesExpansionModSettingsSpawnSettings.json contains "EnableSpawnSelection": 0 for the initial setup.
• The server was restarted after every configuration change.
• The loaded terrain is Deer Isle and the client reaches gameplay without missing-mod or mission-path errors.
• Container deployments use a map URL, mission path and template from the same map version.

Frequently Asked Questions

What mission file do I need for Deer Isle?

For the hosted DayZ Expansion workflow, upload the matching Expansion mission folders into the server’s mpmissions directory and select Expansion.DeerIsle in the Missions block of serverDZ.cfg. The offline workflow is different: it uses an ExpansionCOM.DeerIsle folder inside the DayZ Missions directory.

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Which mods are required on both the server and client?

Install DeerIsle, DayZ-Expansion, DayZ-Expansion-Licensed, DayZ-Expansion-Core, DayZ-Expansion-Vehicles, Community-Online-Tools and CF. The server and every connecting client need matching versions of all seven Workshop items.

Why does my Deer Isle server start on Chernarus?

Check that the active configuration contains template="Expansion.DeerIsle", that the mission folder is directly beneath mpmissions, and that the server was restarted after saving. An extra archive-directory level or a second competing class DayZ block can leave the old mission active.

Why does Deer Isle spawn me incorrectly?

Expansion’s newer spawn-selection feature requires configured coordinates that the documented Deer Isle setup does not provide. Stop the server, open profilesExpansionModSettingsSpawnSettings.json, set "EnableSpawnSelection": 0, save, and restart.

Can I use Expansion.DeerIsle in a Linux container?

Only if that container actually includes an Expansion mission with that name. The documented ServerZ community-map example uses empty.deerisle, with a matching MISSION_PATH under the map repository. Keep the template, path and map version synchronized.

How do I fix a container mission-path error?

Verify that MAP_URL fetches the intended repository, MISSION_PATH points into that same release and ends at the mission folder, and TEMPLATE matches the mission name. Also expose the required UDP ports; the example lists 2304 and 27017.

Should I use stable or experimental DayZ?

Use the branch compatible with the mission archive, Deer Isle release and Workshop mods you installed. The offline workflow distinguishes stable and experimental versions; switching branches without matching files can cause startup or client-connection failures.

Do I need to disable spawn selection permanently?

No. Disable it for the initial documented setup. You can enable it later only after creating and testing a Deer Isle-specific coordinate list; otherwise errors or unusable spawn locations may return.

The Bottom Line

Install the seven Workshop items, upload the matching Expansion mission folders under mpmissions, set template="Expansion.DeerIsle", disable EnableSpawnSelection, and restart. For containers, keep MAP_URL, MISSION_PATH and TEMPLATE tied to the same map release.

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