TLDR:
Try the Karma Krew community servers if Hacking has ruined offical servers for you.
EDIT*
Apparently people think this is a AI post. It is not. I'm just bad at putting my thoughts down in a clear manner. This is not a shill ad for KK as will be clear if you read my badly articulated review.
EDIT2* **KK Xbox console community servers are all 1st Person Perspective Only.
KK has implemented a system to specifically combat the recently introduced controller-only servers hackers.
I can't say it's 100%, but I haven't met one yet, FYI.
Now, there are some differences with the official Vanilla servers that you should be aware of.
They state that they are Vanilla+, which I believe means they try to deliver an experience similar to what the official servers offer, so no enormous changes such as no stamina drain, etc.
I'm specifically referring to KK's console community servers, but I do believe most if not all of the following applies to their PC servers as well
Please feel free to correct me where I'm wrong. I'm still quite new to their servers.
Not an exhaustive list but what I've found out by personally playing for about 30 hours so far on all three of the official maps.
( FYI when you first attempt to join a KK server you will be kicked as not being whitelisted, just wait about 20 mins and then rejoin and you should be able to join. This is their anti-hacker fix )
1. Player stamina seems approximately 20% higher.
2. Player slots are higher than official.
100 on Chernarus, 75 on Livonia and 65 on Sakhal.
3. Spawns have been altered.
*Fruit and mushrooms no longer spawn at all.
*Animals *seem* to spawn less, at least I haven't seen any wolves in 30 hours, although I did find some remains once and heard howling once.
*Infected spawns are significantly, and I do mean significantly lower than on official.
So much so that the maps actually feel emptier when wandering around even if the server is full to capacity.
This may or may not matter to you. If you just want to engage with players, then it may not be a concern at all, but as a nomad, loner type, I definitely prefer the official infected numbers.
4. The maps have been edited
Additions to existing locations and brand new locations, including:
*New dynamic spawn locations ( hunter camps, crashed civilian choppers ).
*Cleared existing static gas zones and new ones at other locations.
*New bunker locations.
*Edited map layouts to make traversal easier, more interesting. For example, there are now land bridges on Sakhal, making journeying to the southern island easier.
*More that have yet to be discovered.
As a console player, I never thought I'd see " mods" on the platform. This is super exciting.
Clearly, the team at Karma Krew has put in an immense amount of effort, and it's really impressive what they have done.
If you want to freshen up your official maps experience, then this is definitely something to try out.
5 Weapons and their attachments appear to spawn in better condition a much higher % of the time.
This is just my experience so far, but of the 17 spawning guns and mags I came across through general traversal , all except one were either in a worn or pristine condition. Only one mag was damaged.
I've never had this on official in over a decade of playing, so I'm assuming this is a deliberate choice to facilitate faster player vs player engagements?
6 Raid Timers
There are time based rules against raiding bases. You can only do so at set times ( from memory, it's a 6 hour IRL window post 6pm daily ).
Outside of these Raid Windows, all damage to bases is turned off, so they are indestructible.
7 There are No-build Zones
Spawn sites, military areas, and other select locations are exempt from building bases so you can't locate your base at these locations.
KK state they do this to help negate exploits, etc, at popular locations.
8 Significantly longer No-Combat-Log Rules.
*30 second log-out timer instead of 15 on official.
*10 minute No Combat Log rule stated in KK's rules.**
I'm sure I've missed things and please, anyone reading this correct or add anything that you feel will help to accurately reflect what playing on a Karma Krew server is like.
Those are the observations and below, if you have a interest are my opinions on these things and how they come across while actually playing DayZ in my own way.
In summery my experience so far, with the above stated differences in mind is:
1. Karma Krew and the team behind it are presenting an extremely professional alternative DayZ experience.
Seriously, check out their website and YouTube vids. Some of it could pass for official and some of it is presented better than on official channels.
I had no idea console community servers like this existed until the debacle of the 1.29 patch had me searching for an alternative server option.
2. The claim the KK servers are Vanilla-like is true-ish.
*Compared to the *400% Max Loot No Stam Drain* type of Community servers that I was aware of KK absolutely are in keeping with a " true " DayZ experience.
*Their +20% change didn't really alter how I play.
The changes KK have made are subjectivity better and worse than official, for me.
*The increased player slots are fantastic and the fact that they have even done this shows how healthy their enterprise currently is.
*I really don't like the decrease in spawned infected and ground-foraged food. These things make the DayZ world seem so much more alive and interactive.
Funny that I hadn't realised this until playing on KK but it really does make a difference when I play.
The towns are just so much easier without the usual no of infected there. I found myself dancing through them without much care in a way I never do on official.
I forgot how much I relied on the infected to facilitate PVP interactions as they act as an early warning signal and help you to avoid/interactive with others as you choose.
*The edited maps are both great and maybe not.
They absolutely add spice to traversing well-worn routes. Coming across new military road blocks and entirely new bunkers ( a rock island entirely made for a bunker ) and brand new container ship-wrecks is so cool and there are lots and lots of map edits. KK are no slouches in this regard. They are incredibly busy and it shows.
But for me, one of the appeals of Dayz is the emptiness of so much of the landscape.
As strange as it may seem, the lack of content is itself content. I love desolation and the chance of finding nothing as I explore. It makes PvP that more exciting when it isn't at a sort-out lootcation but rather, in the middle of nothing next to nowhere in particular.
And it's with the above in mind that I would say I actually prefer offical vs KK in this regard. There's actually just a bit too much added/changed.
Now, don't get me wrong, mine is probably a minority opinion and the map edits are done with care and professionalism. Most players may love it all and I can see why.
3. The weapon/attachments conditions when spawning.
If I'm right and they're programmed as far more likely to be worn/pristine then this affects how I play greatly.
Part of the DayZ challenge is not only finding our gear/weapons etc, but it's also the maintaining a certain level of quality dependent on how we feel on an as-needs basis.
This change kind of makes it feel like all I need to do is go to x location and I'm guaranteed to get all of my weaponry ready-to-go which would indeed facilitate PvP interactions more quickly than on offical. That may be good if you play with that at the forefront of your mind but I love the challenges of getting all of my gear in good shape " naturally ".
4. Raid Timers and Build Zones.
I personally rarely if ever raid so this didn't make much difference to me on KK's servers.
I did notice they added small castles to all maps that you can make a base in. I didn't like seeing these on Sakhal tbh. I get it but I'd prefer to keep those off Sakhal for aesthetic purposes.
The build zones make it interesting but actually make it more likely that you will run into one as players now have less real estate to choose from.
5. Combat Log Changes.
Now, I don't know how exactly they can enforce the 10 minute rule but I love that it's even there. If it cuts down on players reaching for the escape pods then I'm all on-board.
I only had one major PvP exchange down south on Sakhal and that player certainly didn't combat log. I was peppering him with me silenced Bizon and he had no clue where I was and ran off to a bush.
He could have logged but didn't and I got him ( felt bad as I rushed him, he panic fired in the wrong direction. Made me feel terrible. ).
All in all KK is well worth a try.
It's clearly done with love and attention by a Krew of fans and even if it's may not be perfect for me vs offical it's absolutely a worthwhile alternative and should be experienced by all to see if it fits.