Increase the lifetime of your loot on DayZ Standalone by raising the <lifetime> value in types.xml: it is in seconds, so 3600 keeps an item on the ground for 1 hour before cleanup.
Every item in DayZ has a lifetime: how long it stays in the world, untouched, before the Central Economy cleans it up. Raise it and loot stays around longer.
How to increase the lifetime of loot on DayZ
- Stop your server first: press STOP before doing these steps.
- Access the server configuration files. These files are in your server's directory. Open them with the File Manager in the game panel, or over SFTP with a text editor.
- Locate the types.xml file. The
types.xmlfile is where you adjust settings related to loot, including its lifetime. It contains the definitions for all the items and their properties in the game. It sits in thedbfolder of your mission, for example:- Chernarus:
mpmissions/dayzOffline.chernarusplus/db/types.xml - Livonia:
mpmissions/dayzOffline.enoch/db/types.xml - Sakhal:
mpmissions/dayzOffline.sakhal/db/types.xml - Nasdara:
mpmissions/dayzOffline.nasdara/db/types.xml
- Chernarus:
- Adjust the lifetime values. In
types.xml, find the section (the<type name="...">entry) for the item or category of items you want to change. Look for the<lifetime>tag within that section. - Increase the lifetime value. The lifetime value is measured in seconds. Increase it to extend the item's lifetime. For example, if the default lifetime is set to
1800seconds (30 minutes), you can increase it to3600seconds (1 hour) or more, depending on your preference. - Save the changes: save the
types.xmlfile. Check it with the XML Validator in the game panel, because one typo can stop loot spawning. - Start the server: press START.
An item entry with the lifetime raised to 1 hour looks like this (other tags left out):
<type name="ItemName">
...
<lifetime>3600</lifetime>
...
</type>Lifetime, performance and balance
Increasing the lifetime of loot can have an impact on server performance, as more items will be present in the game world for longer periods. It can also affect the overall balance of the game, as players may accumulate more resources over time. Strike a balance that suits your server's gameplay style and player preferences.
If your server slows down after raising lifetimes, see How to increase the FPS of your DayZ server.
Loot lifetime questions
How do I increase the lifetime of loot on DayZ?
Stop your server, open your mission's db/types.xml, find the item and raise its <lifetime> value, which is in seconds (for example from 1800 to 3600 for 1 hour). Save the file, check it with the XML Validator and start the server.
What unit is the DayZ lifetime value in?
Seconds. 1800 is 30 minutes, 3600 is 1 hour and 86400 is 24 hours.
Do I need to wipe the server after changing lifetimes?
No. Restart the server and the new values apply as the economy runs. Items already on the map stay until they are picked up or their lifetime runs out.
Want your own DayZ server? GTX DayZ servers give you full access to types.xml and the other mission files: see DayZ server hosting.
Related guides
Need help with your loot settings? Open a support ticket. Our support team is available 24/7.
