Local server, running, but empty, does time still pass?

[Baked Ziti]

I'm a newer player, and running a local server on my personal gaming PC for a handful of friends, and I've let the server run indefinably so if one of the friends wants to log in and play for a few hours, the server is live. The server gets activity probably 3 or 4 hours a day, but there are gaps of 10+ hours when nobody is logged in.

Does the server pass time when nobody is logged in? We're most concerned about item despawning/degrading and food spoiling. If nobody plays for a few days, could we log back in and find all our stashed stuff missing, destroyed or rotten?

Should I be shutting the server down if we know there's a few days where nobody is going to be playing?

[_KC76_]

If you have the server set to "serverTimePersistent = 1;" in the ServerDZ.config file, the server will save the time, and use that time when re-started. If that setting is set to zero, the time will "reset" each time the server restarts ... but that is not exactly what you asked ...

To answer you more directly, as best as possible, Time passes, no matter what. Server running, or server off, the "timers" of Items are "persistent" .. they do not "reset" when the server re-starts, whether on a cycle, or manually after being off-line for many hours .. When the server comes back on-line a day later, you may find many of your stored, un-cooked Fruit or Mushrooms have spoiled, or something you dropped on the ground may have despawned .. Because server Time persists, no matter what, but the setting I showed above can be used to reset the "Time of Day" during a server re-start .. I put that first, because many will confuse that with general "time" rather than "time of day".

TL;DR If the electric bill is not a problem, keep the server running 24/7 .. Time will progress even if you shut it down anyway. (time recalculates when you restart).

[Baked Ziti]

Great answer. Thank you.

[HolyRustedMetal]

Please ignore _KC76_'s wrong answer.
Server's time does not progress at all when it's turned off. You can close the server and come back a year later and all your stuff will be exactly how you left them. (Except items that were about to cleaned up anyway at restart)

However, the time does progress and items will despawn and spoil if the server is running even when there's no players logged on.

"serverTimePersistent" setting stores the time of day and date between restarts though, and it's not related to object lifetime or decay.

[Coco Rouge]

Originally posted by HolyRustedMetal:

However, the time does progress and items will despawn and spoil if the server is running even when there's no players logged on.

I don't think this is activated in the default settings. Afaik, server goes in CE idle mode 60 sec after last player logged off, if not changed in the settings (db\globals.xml -> IdleModeCountdown).

[HolyRustedMetal]

Originally posted by Coco Rouge:

Originally posted by HolyRustedMetal:

However, the time does progress and items will despawn and spoil if the server is running even when there's no players logged on.

I don't think this is activated in the default settings. Afaik, server goes in CE idle mode 60 sec after last player logged off, if not changed in the settings (db\globals.xml -> IdleModeCountdown).

I'm pretty sure idle mode just stops spawning new loot or something, because I have that value at default and running a server without players drop the lifetimes accordingly.

[Coco Rouge]

Originally posted by HolyRustedMetal:

I'm pretty sure idle mode just stops spawning new loot or something, because I have that value at default and running a server without players drop the lifetimes accordingly.

Nice to know, never kept an eye on it. Thanks!

[mud]

i know little about this subject really, but i have logged into an empty server to see deer being chased by wolves running past me as i spawned in. from my understanding animals do not despawn if players log off and 0 players are on. now it does take a player to spawn an animal, but once spawned it stays till death or restart. would this be correct?

[Envy The Dead]

It’s like the question if a tree falls in the woods and no one is around to hear it does it still make a sound

The real question you need to be asking yourselves is Why do you guys play on private and empty servers

[Baked Ziti]

Originally posted by Skeeter:

The real question you need to be asking yourselves if Why do you guys play on private and empty servers

Our group of friends enjoys co-op, PvE survival, and exploration. We've been playing 7 Days to Die, Project Zomboid and Ark together for years, and we're trying out DayZ, co-op, on a private local server, with the expansion mod bundle.

And before you reply with the "durrr.. that's not the point of the game" guess what, we don't care. We're having fun.

[Pi]

Originally posted by Skeeter:

It’s like the question if a tree falls in the woods and no one is around to hear it does it still make a sound

The real question you need to be asking yourselves if Why do you guys play on private and empty servers

lots of popular servers are empty at times, its useful to understand how the economy works. but i get it, being plaqued 24/7 with all these deep deep thoughts and questions about stuff thats none of your business and thats not affecting you in the slightest sure sucks, i hope you are doing ok!

[_KC76_]

Originally posted by HolyRustedMetal:

Please ignore _KC76_'s wrong answer.
Server's time does not progress at all when it's turned off. You can close the server and come back a year later and all your stuff will be exactly how you left them. (Except items that were about to cleaned up anyway at restart)

My experience with hosting servers, says otherwise. Perhaps you can explain why this is so?
You say I am wrong, but provide no substance, other than your "claim".

Is it the difference between using "system time" verses using "defined time"?
How do you explain when I log off a server at "12 noon" time on the server, and then shut down the server, and a few days later start the server again, and when I log on, it is 2AM, and pitch black night time ... If "time" does not "persist", and progress/recalculate at next server start, how is this possible?
- If "server time persist" ONLY for purposes you say, then NO MATTER when I restart the server, it should be 12 Noon .. a day later, a year later.
- "2AM" is not the Time of Day defined in my ServerDZ.config, so where does this time of day come from, if not from "time persisting/recalculating" at server start?

Edit: I have an idea of how you are going to explain this away.. Lets see.

[-OrLoK- Слава Україн]

Originally posted by Skeeter:

It’s like the question if a tree falls in the woods and no one is around to hear it does it still make a sound

The real question you need to be asking yourselves if Why do you guys play on private and empty servers

don't gatekeep

[HolyRustedMetal]

Originally posted by _KC76_:

Originally posted by HolyRustedMetal:

Please ignore _KC76_'s wrong answer.
Server's time does not progress at all when it's turned off. You can close the server and come back a year later and all your stuff will be exactly how you left them. (Except items that were about to cleaned up anyway at restart)

My experience with hosting servers, says otherwise. Perhaps you can explain why this is so?
You say I am wrong, but provide no substance, other than your "claim".

Is it the difference between using "system time" verses using "defined time"?
How do you explain when I log off a server at "12 noon" time on the server, and then shut down the server, and a few days later start the server again, and when I log on, it is 2AM, and pitch black night time ... If "time" does not "persist", and progress/recalculate at next server start, how is this possible?
- If "server time persist" ONLY for purposes you say, then NO MATTER when I restart the server, it should be 12 Noon .. a day later, a year later.
- "2AM" is not the Time of Day defined in my ServerDZ.config, so where does this time of day come from, if not from "time persisting/recalculating" at server start?

Edit: I have an idea of how you are going to explain this away.. Lets see.

I tried with both systemtime and defined time, and both honoured the persistent time setting. Meaning the mission time was always persistently the same as when it was shut down. So I'm not exactly sure what are you doing differently. Mods? Forgot the server running?
Anyway, I don't think the time of day was much of a concern for the OP. They were more worried about the despawning and rotting food, which of course doesn't happen while the server is offline, because the server isn't alive to decreese their lifetimes.

[Envy The Dead]

Originally posted by -OrLoK- Слава Україн:

Originally posted by Skeeter:

It’s like the question if a tree falls in the woods and no one is around to hear it does it still make a sound

The real question you need to be asking yourselves if Why do you guys play on private and empty servers

don't gatekeep

Just asked a question

[_KC76_]

Originally posted by HolyRustedMetal:

Originally posted by _KC76_:

Edit: I have an idea of how you are going to explain this away.. Lets see.

I tried with both systemtime and defined time, and both honoured the persistent time setting. Meaning the mission time was always persistently the same as when it was shut down. So I'm not exactly sure what are you doing differently. Mods? Forgot the server running?
Anyway, I don't think the time of day was much of a concern for the OP. They were more worried about the despawning and rotting food, which of course doesn't happen while the server is offline, because the server isn't alive to decreese their lifetimes.

I'll admit, you didn't go the route I thought you would .. you kept it vague instead. Good play, but still does not provide enough info to determine why your "results" where different from mine, nor provide proof as to why you claim I was "wrong" and should be "ignored" ..