Chapter 9.4: Loot Economy Deep Dive

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Summary: The Central Economy (CE) is the system that controls every item spawn in DayZ -- from a can of beans on a shelf to an AKM in a military barracks. This chapter explains the full spawn cycle, documents every field in types.xml, globals.xml, events.xml, and cfgspawnabletypes.xml with real examples from the vanilla server files, and covers the most common economy mistakes.

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Table of Contents

• How the Central Economy Works
• The Spawn Cycle
• types.xml -- Item Spawn Definitions
• Real types.xml Examples
• types.xml Field Reference
• globals.xml -- Economy Parameters
• events.xml -- Dynamic Events
• cfgspawnabletypes.xml -- Attachments and Cargo
• cfgspawnabletypes.xml Expansion (1.28+)
• The Nominal/Restock Relationship
• Common Economy Mistakes

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How the Central Economy Works

The Central Economy (CE) is a server-side system that runs on a continuous loop. Its job is to maintain the world's item population at the levels defined in your configuration files.

The CE does not place items when a player enters a building. Instead, it runs on a global timer and spawns items across the entire map, regardless of player proximity. Items have a lifetime -- when that timer expires and no player has interacted with the item, the CE removes it. Then, on the next cycle, it detects that the count is below target and spawns a replacement somewhere else.

Key concepts:

• Nominal -- the target number of copies of an item that should exist on the map
• Min -- the threshold below which the CE will attempt to respawn the item
• Lifetime -- how long (in seconds) an untouched item persists before cleanup
• Restock -- minimum time (in seconds) before the CE can respawn an item after it was taken/destroyed
• Flags -- what counts toward the total (on map, in cargo, in player inventory, in stashes)

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The Spawn Cycle

In short: the CE counts how many of each item exist, compares against the nominal/min targets, and spawns replacements when the count drops below min and the restock timer has elapsed.

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types.xml -- Item Spawn Definitions

This is the most important economy file. Every item that can spawn in the world needs an entry here. The vanilla types.xml for Chernarus contains approximately 23,000 lines covering thousands of items.

Real types.xml Examples

Weapon -- AKM

<type name="AKM">
    <nominal>3</nominal>
    <lifetime>7200</lifetime>
    <restock>3600</restock>
    <min>2</min>
    <quantmin>30</quantmin>
    <quantmax>80</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="Tier4"/>
</type>

The AKM is a rare, high-tier weapon. Only 3 can exist on the map at once (nominal). It spawns in Military buildings in Tier 4 (northwest) areas. When a player picks one up, the CE sees the map count drop below min=2 and will spawn a replacement after at least 3600 seconds (1 hour). The weapon spawns with 30-80% ammo in its internal magazine (quantmin/quantmax).

Food -- BakedBeansCan

<type name="BakedBeansCan">
    <nominal>15</nominal>
    <lifetime>14400</lifetime>
    <restock>0</restock>
    <min>12</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="food"/>
    <tag name="shelves"/>
    <usage name="Town"/>
    <usage name="Village"/>
    <value name="Tier1"/>
    <value name="Tier2"/>
    <value name="Tier3"/>
</type>

Baked beans are common food. 15 cans should exist at any time. They spawn on shelves in Town and Village buildings across Tiers 1-3 (coast to mid-map). restock=0 means instant respawn eligibility. quantmin=-1 and quantmax=-1 mean the item does not use the quantity system (it is not a liquid or ammo container).

Clothing -- RidersJacket_Black

<type name="RidersJacket_Black">
    <nominal>14</nominal>
    <lifetime>28800</lifetime>
    <restock>0</restock>
    <min>10</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="clothes"/>
    <usage name="Town"/>
    <value name="Tier1"/>
    <value name="Tier2"/>
</type>

A common civilian jacket. 14 copies on the map, found in Town buildings near the coast (Tiers 1-2). Lifetime of 28800 seconds (8 hours) means it persists a long time if nobody picks it up.

Medical -- BandageDressing

<type name="BandageDressing">
    <nominal>40</nominal>
    <lifetime>14400</lifetime>
    <restock>0</restock>
    <min>30</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="tools"/>
    <tag name="shelves"/>
    <usage name="Medic"/>
</type>

Bandages are very common (40 nominal). They spawn in Medic buildings (hospitals, clinics) across all tiers (no <value> tag means all tiers). Note the category is "tools", not "medical" -- DayZ does not have a medical category; medical items use the tools category.

Disabled item (crafted variant)

<type name="AK101_Black">
    <nominal>0</nominal>
    <lifetime>28800</lifetime>
    <restock>0</restock>
    <min>0</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="1" deloot="0"/>
    <category name="weapons"/>
</type>

nominal=0 and min=0 means the CE will never spawn this item. crafted=1 indicates it can only be obtained through crafting (painting a weapon). It still has a lifetime so persisted instances eventually clean up.

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types.xml Field Reference

Core Fields

Field	Type	Range	Description
name	string	--	Class name of the item. Must exactly match the game's class name.
nominal	int	0+	Target number of this item on the map. Set to 0 to prevent spawning.
min	int	0+	When the count drops to this value or below, the CE will try to spawn more.
lifetime	int	seconds	How long an untouched item exists before the CE deletes it.
restock	int	seconds	Minimum cooldown before the CE can spawn a replacement. 0 = immediate.
quantmin	int	-1 to 100	Minimum quantity percentage when spawned (ammo %, liquid %). -1 = not applicable.
quantmax	int	-1 to 100	Maximum quantity percentage when spawned. -1 = not applicable.
cost	int	0+	Priority weight for spawn selection. Currently all vanilla items use 100.

Flags

<flags count_in_cargo="0" count_in_hoarder="0" count_in_map="1" count_in_player="0" crafted="0" deloot="0"/>

Flag	Values	Description
count_in_map	0, 1	Count items lying on the ground or in building spawn points. Almost always 1.
count_in_cargo	0, 1	Count items inside other containers (backpacks, tents).
count_in_hoarder	0, 1	Count items in stashes, barrels, buried containers, tents.
count_in_player	0, 1	Count items in player inventory (on body or in hands).
crafted	0, 1	When 1, this item is only obtainable through crafting, not CE spawning.
deloot	0, 1	Dynamic Event loot. When 1, the item only spawns at dynamic event locations (helicrashes, etc.).

Flag strategy matters. If count_in_player=1, every AKM a player is carrying counts toward the nominal. This means picking up an AKM would not trigger a respawn because the count did not change. Most vanilla items use count_in_player=0 so that player-held items do not block respawns.

Tags

Element	Purpose	Defined In
<category name="..."/>	Item category for spawn point matching	cfglimitsdefinition.xml
<usage name="..."/>	Building type where this item can spawn	cfglimitsdefinition.xml
<value name="..."/>	Map tier zone where this item can spawn	cfglimitsdefinition.xml
<tag name="..."/>	Spawn position type within a building	cfglimitsdefinition.xml

Valid categories: tools, containers, clothes, food, weapons, books, explosives, lootdispatch

Valid usage flags: Military, Police, Medic, Firefighter, Industrial, Farm, Coast, Town, Village, Hunting, Office, School, Prison, Lunapark, SeasonalEvent, ContaminatedArea, Historical

Valid value flags: Tier1, Tier2, Tier3, Tier4, Unique

Valid tags: floor, shelves, ground

An item can have multiple <usage> and <value> tags. Multiple usages mean it can spawn in any of those building types. Multiple values mean it can spawn in any of those tiers.

If you omit <value> entirely, the item spawns in all tiers. If you omit <usage>, the item has no valid spawn location and will not spawn.

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globals.xml -- Economy Parameters

This file controls global CE behavior. Every parameter from the vanilla file:

<variables>
    <var name="AnimalMaxCount" type="0" value="200"/>
    <var name="CleanupAvoidance" type="0" value="100"/>
    <var name="CleanupLifetimeDeadAnimal" type="0" value="1200"/>
    <var name="CleanupLifetimeDeadInfected" type="0" value="330"/>
    <var name="CleanupLifetimeDeadPlayer" type="0" value="3600"/>
    <var name="CleanupLifetimeDefault" type="0" value="45"/>
    <var name="CleanupLifetimeLimit" type="0" value="50"/>
    <var name="CleanupLifetimeRuined" type="0" value="330"/>
    <var name="FlagRefreshFrequency" type="0" value="432000"/>
    <var name="FlagRefreshMaxDuration" type="0" value="3456000"/>
    <var name="FoodDecay" type="0" value="1"/>
    <var name="IdleModeCountdown" type="0" value="60"/>
    <var name="IdleModeStartup" type="0" value="1"/>
    <var name="InitialSpawn" type="0" value="100"/>
    <var name="LootDamageMax" type="1" value="0.82"/>
    <var name="LootDamageMin" type="1" value="0.0"/>
    <var name="LootProxyPlacement" type="0" value="1"/>
    <var name="LootSpawnAvoidance" type="0" value="100"/>
    <var name="RespawnAttempt" type="0" value="2"/>
    <var name="RespawnLimit" type="0" value="20"/>
    <var name="RespawnTypes" type="0" value="12"/>
    <var name="RestartSpawn" type="0" value="0"/>
    <var name="SpawnInitial" type="0" value="1200"/>
    <var name="TimeHopping" type="0" value="60"/>
    <var name="TimeLogin" type="0" value="15"/>
    <var name="TimeLogout" type="0" value="15"/>
    <var name="TimePenalty" type="0" value="20"/>
    <var name="WorldWetTempUpdate" type="0" value="1"/>
    <var name="ZombieMaxCount" type="0" value="1000"/>
    <var name="ZoneSpawnDist" type="0" value="300"/>
</variables>

The type attribute indicates data type: 0 = integer, 1 = float.

Complete Parameter Reference

Parameter	Type	Default	Description
AnimalMaxCount	int	200	Maximum number of animals alive on the map at once.
CleanupAvoidance	int	100	Distance in meters from a player where the CE will NOT clean up items. Items within this radius are protected from lifetime expiry.
CleanupLifetimeDeadAnimal	int	1200	Seconds before a dead animal corpse is removed. (20 minutes)
CleanupLifetimeDeadInfected	int	330	Seconds before a dead zombie corpse is removed. (5.5 minutes)
CleanupLifetimeDeadPlayer	int	3600	Seconds before a dead player body is removed. (1 hour)
CleanupLifetimeDefault	int	45	Default cleanup time in seconds for items with no specific lifetime.
CleanupLifetimeLimit	int	50	Maximum number of items processed per cleanup cycle.
CleanupLifetimeRuined	int	330	Seconds before ruined items are cleaned up. (5.5 minutes)
FlagRefreshFrequency	int	432000	How often a flag pole must be "refreshed" by interaction to prevent base decay, in seconds. (5 days)
FlagRefreshMaxDuration	int	3456000	Maximum lifetime of a flag pole even with regular refreshing, in seconds. (40 days)
FoodDecay	int	1	Enable (1) or disable (0) food spoilage over time.
IdleModeCountdown	int	60	Seconds before server enters idle mode when no players are connected.
IdleModeStartup	int	1	Whether the server starts in idle mode (1) or active mode (0).
InitialSpawn	int	100	Percentage of nominal values to spawn on first server start (0-100).
LootDamageMax	float	0.82	Maximum damage state for randomly spawned loot (0.0 = pristine, 1.0 = ruined).
LootDamageMin	float	0.0	Minimum damage state for randomly spawned loot.
LootProxyPlacement	int	1	Enable (1) visual placement of items on shelves/tables vs random floor drops.
LootSpawnAvoidance	int	100	Distance in meters from a player where the CE will NOT spawn new loot. Prevents items popping into existence in front of players.
RespawnAttempt	int	2	Number of spawn position attempts per item per CE cycle before giving up.
RespawnLimit	int	20	Maximum number of items the CE will respawn per cycle.
RespawnTypes	int	12	Maximum number of different item types processed per respawn cycle.
RestartSpawn	int	0	When 1, re-randomize all loot positions on server restart. When 0, load from persistence.
SpawnInitial	int	1200	Number of items to spawn during the initial economy population on first start.
TimeHopping	int	60	Cooldown in seconds preventing a player from reconnecting to the same server (anti-server-hop).
TimeLogin	int	15	Login countdown timer in seconds (the "Please wait" timer when connecting).
TimeLogout	int	15	Logout countdown timer in seconds. Player remains in the world during this time.
TimePenalty	int	20	Extra penalty time in seconds added to logout timer if the player disconnects improperly (Alt+F4).
WorldWetTempUpdate	int	1	Enable (1) or disable (0) world temperature and wetness simulation updates.
ZombieMaxCount	int	1000	Maximum number of zombies alive on the map at once.
ZoneSpawnDist	int	300	Distance in meters from a player at which zombie spawn zones become active.

Common Tuning Adjustments

More loot (PvP server):

<var name="InitialSpawn" type="0" value="100"/>
<var name="RespawnLimit" type="0" value="50"/>
<var name="RespawnTypes" type="0" value="30"/>
<var name="RespawnAttempt" type="0" value="4"/>

Longer dead bodies (more time to loot kills):

<var name="CleanupLifetimeDeadPlayer" type="0" value="7200"/>

Shorter base decay (wipe stale bases faster):

<var name="FlagRefreshFrequency" type="0" value="259200"/>
<var name="FlagRefreshMaxDuration" type="0" value="1728000"/>

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events.xml -- Dynamic Events

Events define spawns for entities that need special handling: animals, vehicles, and helicopter crashes. Unlike types.xml items which spawn inside buildings, events spawn at predefined world positions listed in cfgeventspawns.xml.

Real Vehicle Event Example

<event name="VehicleCivilianSedan">
    <nominal>8</nominal>
    <min>5</min>
    <max>11</max>
    <lifetime>300</lifetime>
    <restock>0</restock>
    <saferadius>500</saferadius>
    <distanceradius>500</distanceradius>
    <cleanupradius>200</cleanupradius>
    <flags deletable="0" init_random="0" remove_damaged="1"/>
    <position>fixed</position>
    <limit>mixed</limit>
    <active>1</active>
    <children>
        <child lootmax="0" lootmin="0" max="5" min="3" type="CivilianSedan"/>
        <child lootmax="0" lootmin="0" max="5" min="3" type="CivilianSedan_Black"/>
        <child lootmax="0" lootmin="0" max="5" min="3" type="CivilianSedan_Wine"/>
    </children>
</event>

Real Animal Event Example

<event name="AnimalBear">
    <nominal>0</nominal>
    <min>2</min>
    <max>2</max>
    <lifetime>180</lifetime>
    <restock>0</restock>
    <saferadius>200</saferadius>
    <distanceradius>0</distanceradius>
    <cleanupradius>0</cleanupradius>
    <flags deletable="0" init_random="0" remove_damaged="1"/>
    <position>fixed</position>
    <limit>custom</limit>
    <active>1</active>
    <children>
        <child lootmax="0" lootmin="0" max="1" min="1" type="Animal_UrsusArctos"/>
    </children>
</event>

Event Field Reference

Field	Description
name	Event identifier. Must match an entry in cfgeventspawns.xml for position="fixed" events.
nominal	Target number of active event groups on the map.
min	Minimum group members per spawn point.
max	Maximum group members per spawn point.
lifetime	Seconds before the event is cleaned up and respawned. For vehicles, this is the respawn check interval, not the vehicle's persistence lifetime.
restock	Minimum seconds between respawns.
saferadius	Minimum distance in meters from a player for the event to spawn.
distanceradius	Minimum distance between two instances of the same event.
cleanupradius	Distance from any player below which the event will NOT be cleaned up.
deletable	Whether the event can be deleted by the CE (0 = no).
init_random	Randomize initial positions (0 = use fixed positions).
remove_damaged	Remove the event entity if it becomes damaged/ruined (1 = yes).
position	"fixed" = use positions from cfgeventspawns.xml. "player" = spawn near players.
limit	"child" = limit per child type. "mixed" = limit across all children. "custom" = special behavior.
active	1 = enabled, 0 = disabled.

Children

Each <child> element defines a variant that can spawn:

Attribute	Description
type	Class name of the entity to spawn.
min	Minimum instances of this variant (for limit="child").
max	Maximum instances of this variant (for limit="child").
lootmin	Minimum number of loot items spawned inside/on the entity.
lootmax	Maximum number of loot items spawned inside/on the entity.

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cfgspawnabletypes.xml -- Attachments and Cargo

This file defines what attachments, cargo, and damage state an item has when it spawns. Without an entry here, items spawn empty and at random damage (within LootDamageMin/LootDamageMax from globals.xml).

Weapon with Attachments -- AKM

<type name="AKM">
    <damage min="0.45" max="0.85" />
    <attachments chance="1.00">
        <item name="AK_PlasticBttstck" chance="1.00" />
    </attachments>
    <attachments chance="1.00">
        <item name="AK_PlasticHndgrd" chance="1.00" />
    </attachments>
    <attachments chance="0.50">
        <item name="KashtanOptic" chance="0.30" />
        <item name="PSO11Optic" chance="0.20" />
    </attachments>
    <attachments chance="0.05">
        <item name="AK_Suppressor" chance="1.00" />
    </attachments>
    <attachments chance="0.30">
        <item name="Mag_AKM_30Rnd" chance="1.00" />
    </attachments>
</type>

Reading this entry:

1. The AKM spawns with damage between 45-85% (worn to badly damaged)
2. It always (100%) gets a plastic buttstock and handguard
3. 50% chance of an optic slot being filled -- if it is, 30% chance for Kashtan, 20% for PSO-11
4. 5% chance of a suppressor
5. 30% chance of a loaded magazine

Each <attachments> block represents one attachment slot. The chance on the block is the probability of that slot being populated at all. The chance on each <item> within is relative selection weight -- the CE picks one item from the list using these as weights.

Weapon with Attachments -- M4A1

<type name="M4A1">
    <damage min="0.45" max="0.85" />
    <attachments chance="1.00">
        <item name="M4_OEBttstck" chance="1.00" />
    </attachments>
    <attachments chance="1.00">
        <item name="M4_PlasticHndgrd" chance="1.00" />
    </attachments>
    <attachments chance="1.00">
        <item name="BUISOptic" chance="0.50" />
        <item name="M4_CarryHandleOptic" chance="1.00" />
    </attachments>
    <attachments chance="0.30">
        <item name="Mag_CMAG_40Rnd" chance="0.15" />
        <item name="Mag_CMAG_10Rnd" chance="0.50" />
        <item name="Mag_CMAG_20Rnd" chance="0.70" />
        <item name="Mag_CMAG_30Rnd" chance="1.00" />
    </attachments>
</type>

Vest with Pouches -- PlateCarrierVest_Camo

<type name="PlateCarrierVest_Camo">
    <damage min="0.1" max="0.6" />
    <attachments chance="0.85">
        <item name="PlateCarrierHolster_Camo" chance="1.00" />
    </attachments>
    <attachments chance="0.85">
        <item name="PlateCarrierPouches_Camo" chance="1.00" />
    </attachments>
</type>

Backpack with Cargo

<type name="AssaultBag_Ttsko">
    <cargo preset="mixArmy" />
    <cargo preset="mixArmy" />
    <cargo preset="mixArmy" />
</type>

The preset attribute references a loot pool defined in cfgrandompresets.xml. Each <cargo> line is one roll -- this backpack gets 3 rolls from the mixArmy pool. The pool's own chance value determines if each roll actually produces an item.

Hoarder-Only Items

<type name="Barrel_Blue">
    <hoarder />
</type>
<type name="SeaChest">
    <hoarder />
</type>

The <hoarder /> tag marks items as hoarder containers. The CE counts items inside these separately using the count_in_hoarder flag from types.xml.

Spawn Damage Override

<type name="BandageDressing">
    <damage min="0.0" max="0.0" />
</type>

Forces bandages to always spawn in Pristine condition, overriding the global LootDamageMin/LootDamageMax from globals.xml.

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cfgspawnabletypes.xml Expansion (1.28+)

DayZ 1.28 significantly expanded what cfgspawnabletypes.xml can do. You can now spawn weapons fully loaded with attachments, cargo, and even chambered rounds.

quantmin / quantmax for Stack Sizes

Control how full stackable items spawn (0-100%):

<type name="Ammo_556x45">
    <cargo>
        <item name="Ammo_556x45" quantmin="50" quantmax="100" />
    </cargo>
</type>

The quantmin and quantmax attributes on nested <item> elements work the same as in types.xml -- they set the percentage range for quantity-based items like ammunition and liquids. A value of 50 means the item spawns at least half full.

Nested Item Cargo and Attachments

Items spawned inside other items can themselves have attachments and cargo:

<type name="M4A1">
    <attachments>
        <item name="M4_RISHndgrd" />
        <item name="M68Optic" />
    </attachments>
    <cargo>
        <item name="Mag_STANAG_30Rnd" quantmin="50" quantmax="100" />
    </cargo>
</type>

This spawns an M4A1 with a RIS handguard and M68 optic attached, plus a STANAG magazine in its cargo that is 50-100% full. Before 1.28, cargo items could not have their own quantity set inline.

Nested Damage min/max

Control the damage state of nested items independently from the parent:

<type name="AKM">
    <attachments>
        <item name="AK_Bayonet">
            <damage min="0.0" max="0.3" />
        </item>
    </attachments>
</type>

The bayonet spawns between Pristine and Worn condition, regardless of the AKM's own damage state. This lets you ensure that valuable attachments spawn in better condition than the weapon itself.

Weapons with Chambered Rounds (1.28+)

Weapons can now spawn with a bullet chambered and bullets in the internal magazine:

<type name="Mosin9130">
    <!-- Weapon spawns with rounds in internal magazine -->
</type>

This is configured via cfgspawnabletypes.xml in combination with randompresets.xml. The preset system handles the round type and count, while the spawnable type entry ties the weapon to the preset.

Nested Presets via equip="true"

Reference preset loadouts for spawned items using the equip attribute:

<type name="M4A1">
    <attachments preset="M4Preset" equip="true" />
</type>

When equip="true" is set, the preset is applied as a full equipment loadout on the spawned item rather than selecting a single random item from the preset pool. This is useful for defining complete weapon configurations as reusable presets.

randompresets.xml Now Appendable

Starting in 1.28, randompresets.xml can be appended via cfgeconomycore.xml, letting mods add presets without overwriting vanilla:

<!-- In cfgeconomycore.xml -->
<ce folder="db">
    <file name="my_presets.xml" type="randompresets" />
</ce>

This is a significant improvement for mod compatibility. Previously, any mod that needed custom random presets had to replace the entire randompresets.xml file, causing conflicts when multiple mods were loaded. Now each mod can ship its own preset file and register it through cfgeconomycore.xml.

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The Nominal/Restock Relationship

Understanding how nominal, min, and restock work together is critical for tuning your economy.

The Math

IF (current_count < min) AND (time_since_last_spawn > restock):
    spawn new item (up to nominal)

Example with the AKM:

• nominal = 3, min = 2, restock = 3600
• Server starts: CE spawns 3 AKMs across the map
• Player picks up 1 AKM: map count drops to 2
• Count (2) is NOT less than min (2), so no respawn yet
• Player picks up another AKM: map count drops to 1
• Count (1) IS less than min (2), and restock timer (3600s = 1 hour) starts
• After 1 hour, CE spawns 2 new AKMs to reach nominal (3) again

Example with BakedBeansCan:

• nominal = 15, min = 12, restock = 0
• Player eats a can: map count drops to 14
• Count (14) is NOT less than min (12), so no respawn
• 3 more cans eaten: count drops to 11
• Count (11) IS less than min (12), restock is 0 (instant)
• Next CE cycle: spawns 4 cans to reach nominal (15)

Key Insights

• Gap between nominal and min determines how many items can be "consumed" before the CE reacts. A small gap (like AKM: 3/2) means the CE reacts after just 2 pickups. A large gap means more items can leave the economy before respawn kicks in.

• restock = 0 makes respawning effectively instant (next CE cycle). High restock values create scarcity -- the CE knows it needs to spawn more but must wait.

• Lifetime is independent of nominal/min. Even if the CE has spawned an item to reach nominal, the item will be deleted when its lifetime expires if nobody touches it. This creates a constant "churn" of items appearing and disappearing across the map.

• Items that players pick up but later drop (in a different location) still count if the relevant flag is set. A dropped AKM on the ground still counts toward the map total because count_in_map=1.

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Common Economy Mistakes

Item Has a types.xml Entry But Does Not Spawn

Check in order:

1. Is nominal greater than 0?
2. Does the item have at least one <usage> tag? (No usage = no valid spawn location)
3. Is the <usage> tag defined in cfglimitsdefinition.xml?
4. Is the <value> tag (if present) defined in cfglimitsdefinition.xml?
5. Is the <category> tag valid?
6. Is the item listed in cfgignorelist.xml? (Items there are blocked)
7. Is the crafted flag set to 1? (Crafted items never spawn naturally)
8. Is RestartSpawn in globals.xml set to 0 with existing persistence? (Old persistence may block new items from spawning until a wipe)

Items Spawn But Immediately Disappear

The lifetime value is too low. A lifetime of 45 seconds (the CleanupLifetimeDefault) means the item is cleaned up almost immediately. Weapons should have lifetimes of 7200-28800 seconds.

Too Many/Too Few of an Item

Adjust nominal and min together. If you set nominal=100 but min=1, the CE will not spawn replacements until 99 items have been taken. If you want a steady supply, keep min close to nominal (e.g., nominal=20, min=15).

Items Only Spawn in One Area

Check your <value> tags. If an item only has <value name="Tier4"/>, it will only spawn in the northwest military area of Chernarus. Add more tiers to spread it across the map:

<value name="Tier1"/>
<value name="Tier2"/>
<value name="Tier3"/>
<value name="Tier4"/>

Modded Items Not Spawning

When adding items from a mod to types.xml:

1. Make sure the mod is loaded (listed in -mod= parameter)
2. Verify the class name is exactly correct (case-sensitive)
3. Add the item's category/usage/value tags -- just having a types.xml entry is not enough
4. If the mod adds new usage or value tags, add them to cfglimitsdefinitionuser.xml
5. Check the script log for warnings about unknown class names

Vehicle Parts Not Spawning Inside Vehicles

Vehicle parts spawn through cfgspawnabletypes.xml, not types.xml. If a vehicle spawns without wheels or a battery, check that the vehicle has an entry in cfgspawnabletypes.xml with the appropriate attachment definitions.

All Loot is Pristine or All Loot is Ruined

Check LootDamageMin and LootDamageMax in globals.xml. Vanilla values are 0.0 and 0.82. Setting both to 0.0 makes everything pristine. Setting both to 1.0 makes everything ruined. Also check per-item overrides in cfgspawnabletypes.xml.

Economy Feels "Stuck" After Editing types.xml

After editing economy files, do one of:

• Delete storage_1/ for a full wipe and fresh economy start
• Set RestartSpawn to 1 in globals.xml for one restart to re-randomize loot, then set it back to 0
• Wait for item lifetimes to expire naturally (can take hours)

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