Try to join any server.

My first encounter with DayZ was on YouTube where I saw a video of the Arma 2 DayZ mod. I was instantly hooked and after countless hours of watching those videos I decided to buy Arma 2 just so I could play this amazing modification. I fell in love with the game, it was such a nice breath of fresh air in the multiplayer world.

Soon I heard talks about a standalone version that is in the making. I watched the devlogs of Dean searching for Beans under chairs and tables in some random log house. At least three other guys in the server with awesome hoodies and jeans (which you could grab from the ground - amazing!). When the Standalone became available I bought it almost on the very first day and started my new journey in Chernarus+. I logged in over 1k hours (hard to do when trying to juggle a gf and two jobs).

It was THE most thrilling game I had ever played - nothing came close to it. I have met so many nice and so many bad people through this game. Epic, awesome, heart-pounding & my favourite game to date.

Today, however, I woke up in a hospital. I have been here for the last 7 days - last year one of my kidneys started to fail. Well, at least we have two of those, right? Fast-forward about half a year and the other kidney also starts to act up. Needless to say, I am pretty depressed. Now around two hours or so ago I was already hooked up to some anaesthesia tubes - starting to get ready for my kidney transplant.

Suddenly a friend (who I met totally randomly during a DayZ session a few years back) called me on Discord and gave me the news - DayZ all weekend Stress Test baby. The memories came flooding back, a glimmer of hope to get some positivity back in my life.

After a blink of an eye I ripped out all the tubes, pushed away the nurse trying to stop and ran. I ran through the corridors, out the window and onto the street. Hailed a taxi and got home as quickly as I could. Stumbling through my front door straight to my baby and fired up my old Rosie (ya, I know, naming PCs is lame), turned on Steam and started downloading the test.

First minutes were awesome (the new player controller, the frames, the sounds) and action packed. The whole of NWAF sounding like it was New Years Eve. Shots, cracks, voip screams.

And then, the real reason we all play this game - survival mode coming up next. Hells yea! Time for a cigarette break and the back to the game.

But, oh no, I cannot play anymore. I'm locked in some database....seemingly forever now.....My character is in some weird limbo between Heaven and Hell...part of the incredible .63 and part of some infernal hell...I want to break down and cry :(

Disclaimer: This, of course, is a joke. Some might say a really bad joke due to people really suffering from failing organs etc, but dark humour is also humour. All I want is to play the game already...