How to Edit Loot on a DayZ Server (types.xml Explained)

To edit loot on a DayZ server, open types.xml in your mission's db folder, change the nominal and min values of the items you want more or less of, save, and restart the server. nominal is how many of an item the map aims to have, and min is the count that triggers more to spawn. This guide explains every value in types.xml, shows how to increase loot safely, and covers why changes sometimes seem to do nothing.

Where the loot files are

Loot lives in your mission folder, which matches the template in serverDZ.cfg:

The files that matter:

• db/types.xml: every item, how many spawn and where. This is the one you edit most.
• db/globals.xml: global values such as zombie and animal counts and cleanup timers.
• db/events.xml: dynamic events such as vehicles, helicopter crashes and zombie groups.
• cfgspawnabletypes.xml: what spawns attached to or inside items, like magazines in guns or items in backpacks.
• cfgeconomycore.xml: tells the server which loot files to read, including extra files for mods.

Take a backup before you edit anything. One missing > or a stray character can stop the server from starting.

What an entry in types.xml looks like

<type name="AKM">
    <nominal>10</nominal>
    <lifetime>28800</lifetime>
    <restock>1800</restock>
    <min>6</min>
    <quantmin>-1</quantmin>
    <quantmax>-1</quantmax>
    <cost>100</cost>
    <flags count_in_cargo="0" count_in_hoarder="0" count_in_map="1" count_in_player="0" crafted="0" deloot="0"/>
    <category name="weapons"/>
    <usage name="Military"/>
    <value name="Tier3"/>
    <value name="Tier4"/>
</type>

The numbers above are an example, not the vanilla values. Here is what each part does:

How to increase loot

Raise nominal and min together. Raising only nominal allows more items but does not push the server to spawn them, because it only tops up when the count drops below min. A common rule is to keep min at about two thirds of nominal.

Examples:

• Twice as many AKMs: change nominal from 10 to 20 and min from 6 to 13.
• More food everywhere: raise nominal and min on canned food and drinks, and consider a longer lifetime so it does not despawn before anyone finds it.
• Fewer high tier guns: lower nominal and min on those items, or remove Tier4 so they only spawn in fewer places.

Change a few items at a time and test. Pushing every value up at once can overload the central economy, and loot then spawns slowly or unevenly.

Making items spawn in new places

To have an item spawn somewhere it normally does not, add usage or value lines. For example, adding <usage name="Town"/> to a hunting rifle lets it spawn in towns as well as hunting stands. Removing a value tier keeps it out of that part of the map.

Loot counts and hoarding

The flags decide what counts toward nominal:

• count_in_map="1": items lying on the map count. Almost always on.
• count_in_cargo="1": items in containers such as backpacks count.
• count_in_hoarder="1": items in tents, barrels and stashes count. Turn this on for rare items so players cannot hoard them all and stop new ones spawning.
• count_in_player="1": items in players' inventories count.

Why my loot changes are not working

1. The server was not restarted. types.xml is read at startup only.
2. You edited the wrong mission. Check the template line in serverDZ.cfg matches the folder you edited.
3. Old loot is still in the world. DayZ saves the world, including loot, in the mission's storage_1 folder. Items already spawned stay until they despawn or are picked up, so lowering nominal takes time to show. Deleting storage_1 resets it straight away, but it also wipes every base, stash and character on the server. Only do that as a planned full wipe, after a backup.
4. Only nominal was raised. Raise min too.
5. A broken XML file. The server may fall back or refuse to start. Check the latest log in the profiles folder, and paste the file into an XML validator to find the line.
6. Modded items missing. Mod items need their own types entries, ideally in a separate file listed in cfgeconomycore.xml. See how to install mods on a DayZ server.

Other quick tweaks in globals.xml

globals.xml holds values such as:

• ZombieMaxCount and AnimalMaxCount: how many zombies and animals can be alive at once.
• CleanupLifetimeDefault and related cleanup timers: how long dropped items and bodies last.
• LootDamageMin and LootDamageMax: the condition loot spawns in, from pristine to ruined.

Change one value at a time and restart to see the effect.

Editing loot on a hosted server

On a GamezServers DayZ server you edit these files in the browser with the Files tab, press Backup first (you keep 3), then Restart. No FTP client or remote desktop, and if an edit breaks the server, you restore the backup and try again. The rest of the setup is in how to host a DayZ server.

FAQ

How do I increase loot on my DayZ server?

Raise nominal and min together in types.xml for the items you want, keeping min at about two thirds of nominal, then restart.

What does nominal mean in DayZ types.xml?

It is the target number of that item across the whole map. The server spawns more when the count falls below min.

Do I need to wipe to change loot?

No. Changes apply after a restart. Existing loot stays until it despawns, so the full effect shows over a few hours. Only delete storage_1 if you want a full wipe.

Why did my server stop starting after editing types.xml?

There is an XML error. Restore your backup or check the file in an XML validator, fix the broken tag and restart.