Before you spawn, join the Discord and set your nickname to match your in-game name. Names need at least three English characters, and "Survivor" isn't allowed. Then pick a map:
- Chernarus: our flagship and the easiest of the three, with rotating PvP zones. The best place to start and get a taste of everything.
- Livonia: fully PvE, so you never have to worry about PvP. It's medium difficulty: Inedia makes wounds and zombies tougher.
- Sakhal: hardcore survival with environmental danger and harder progression. Not for the faint of heart.
In game, press B to open the book. It holds server info, crafting info, links, the rules, and a player tab showing how your character is doing.
Is Dead is PC only and modded. Most players join through DZSA Launcher, which downloads the mods for you, but the vanilla DayZ launcher or any other launcher works too.
From there, follow the fresh spawn to endgame path: gear up, run quests, earn money, buy a car, build a base, then go after the endgame. You don't need to rush. The journey is where most of the fun happens.