reset server time = no sleepers in POIs?

[snOopa~zZ]

Hi all,

me and my mate have a rented (german) server, where we play since a few alphas. The server provider has some problems with shutting down servers correctly. After not playing for a couple of days (4-5) the server (which automatically restarts all 24 hours) sets the complete progression to day 1 00:00 o'clock. Everything else is fine - all items are ok, the loot in the chest are alright. We only have a problem with the forge timer, but after stopping the forge and the smelting process the timer is ok again.
So we have to set the correct day and time everytime we play manually by the console.

Our problem is, that there are no sleeper zeds in the POIs anymore. On the one hand it's of course nice to clean the Higashi tower without any interference, but actually it's pretty lame and takes off all the thrill. I think many would love to have our problem - no sleepers anymore ;)...
The regular zeds on the streets and the whole environment spawns as usuall.

How can we solve this problem that there are no sleepers anymore? Do we have to reload the chunks after resetting the date or what could help in this specific case? If so, do I have to delete the loaded chunk files and after restarting the server it will load new with sleepers? Or is there any easy console command to solve this while we are playing?

Many thanks in advance

[Kunovega]

The problem is this:

Most of the timers in this game are not set to wait X number of real hours/minutes

Instead once an event is created it's set to trigger on a specific day and time

If that day and time never happens, the event never happens

The most obvious way to "see" what I'm talking about is with traders or (normal) vending machines where the inventory reset "timer" is clearly visible

If a trader would normally get new inventory "7 days from now" and it's day 42, the next reset happens on "day 49", but then you "reset the server time" to day 1, you won't get a trader reset (on that trader) until day 49

The same issue happens with air drops. Are your air drops set to 5 days and you are on day 100? Well your next air drop was day 105, right? You reset your days to 1. Your next air drop is still day 105, no more air drops until you catch back up

I believe this same event timer exists for sleepers, whatever day you cleared out the sleepers set a trigger for what day that house would respawn. You moved the days back, you still have to catch back up to the day/timer that was originally created

Changing the time in game can create this problem with: traders, vending machines, sleeper respawns, loot respawns, air drops, plant growth, and possibly a few others that I'm forgetting

If you wait long enough for the day to come that was originally set as the next timer, it may correct itself

[Nobody]

Never change the ingame date
(Since we have playerbased Gamestage, there is no more need or sense to do so)

[snOopa~zZ]

Thanks for your answer Kunovega. I know what you mean regarding all the timers. I've recognized this regarding growing plants. But anyways our plants growing normally directly next to our base (so it should actually be the same chunk) and especially today i recognized that a bird nest also only 5 meters next to our base was untouched again. The server reseted at least once after i looted it and that was ingame only 3-4 days, that should be our regular respawn timer. So this would be strange then.
Btw: i never heared that sleepers have any timer in that way?! We also where the first time in the chunk with the higashi tower, so it couldn't be the case that this chunk unloaded somehow. Also other small completely new houses were empty today.

Just for a try: do you know how to delete a chunk via the console to check if this might help?

[snOopa~zZ]

Originally posted by Nobody:

Never change the ingame date
(Since we have playerbased Gamestage, there is no more need or sense to do so)

Yes, thats not wrong, but i don't want to have day 1 every time i start playing again

[Silent Mirko]

I dont think you can actually do something about it except set the time manually to the day etc. or change the hoster.

[Kunovega]

Originally posted by snOopa~zZ:

Thanks for your answer Kunovega. I know what you mean regarding all the timers. I've recognized this regarding growing plants. But anyways our plants growing normally directly next to our base (so it should actually be the same chunk) and especially today i recognized that a bird nest also only 5 meters next to our base was untouched again. The server reseted at least once after i looted it and that was ingame only 3-4 days, that should be our regular respawn timer. So this would be strange then.
Btw: i never heared that sleepers have any timer in that way?! We also where the first time in the chunk with the higashi tower, so it couldn't be the case that this chunk unloaded somehow. Also other small completely new houses were empty today.

Just for a try: do you know how to delete a chunk via the console to check if this might help?

Chunk? No

Region? Yes

But not from console, you manually delete a region from the save folder

[Nobody]

Originally posted by Kunovega:

But not from console, you manually delete a region from the save folder

And if i remember right you need to Shurdown server before that (If region is loaded into player)

[Kunovega]

Originally posted by Nobody:

Originally posted by Kunovega:

But not from console, you manually delete a region from the save folder

And if i remember right you need to Shurdown server before that (If region is loaded into player)

Yea, you have to shut down a server to delete region files. Doesn't take long though. I delete the city regions on my server about every 2 (RL) weeks by hand just to refresh them (new cars, etc)

[snOopa~zZ]

Ok, i will try it. Maybe deleting the region after resetting the time will help (and keep the date correct). Thanks for your advices

[snOopa~zZ]

Can you recommand any tool to find out easily in which region i am, so that i can find the specific file which i have to delete in the folder?

[Kunovega]

Originally posted by snOopa~zZ:

Can you recommand any tool to find out easily in which region i am, so that i can find the specific file which i have to delete in the folder?

I just do the math. A region is 512x512 and the region files use the same numbering system as teleportation

North and East are the only numbers, but listed as East then North

West and South are done as "Negative East" and "Negative North"

Find your coordinates and divide by 512. Round down for East/North. Round up for negatives (west/south)

Example:

1000 East x 500 North would be region 1 East 0 North

1000 West x 500 South would be region -2 East -1 North

Region files add a .7 on the end. So the file names would be 1.0.7 and -2.-1.7 respectively

Someone did make a region calculator, but I've never used it so I don't know anything about it other than it exists:
https://7daystodie.com/forums/showthread.php?32117-Coordinates-to-Region-File-Calculator

I learned from the discussion thread here:
http://7daystodie.com/forums/showthread.php?1832-Soo-i-came-up-with-resetting-the-map-without-destroying-my-base

Also note: if you use Botman as a server manager, you can have the bot tell you every region as you enter it, displayed as the actual file numbers

[snOopa~zZ]

Alright, deleting the region at my local backup on the pc did it :). The sleepers were back again. Hopefully it will also work on the server considering the time/date adjusting after the next start.

What would happen to my base, treasure chests and air drops if I delete all region files? Did anybody checked this already?

Btw: I used bigc90210's region file calculater for an easy way from here: https://7daystodie.com/forums/showthread.php?32117-Coordinates-to-Region-File-Calculator (yes calculating it by myself would also not be difficult ;))

Thanks dudes!

Ps: ok selftest, treasure chests stay, but air drops and all built stuff is gone

[Kunovega]

Originally posted by snOopa~zZ:

Alright, deleting the region at my local backup on the pc did it :). The sleepers were back again. Hopefully it will also work on the server considering the time/date adjusting after the next start.

What would happen to my base, treasure chests and air drops if I delete all region files? Did anybody checked this already?

Btw: I used bigc90210's region file calculater for an easy way from here: https://7daystodie.com/forums/showthread.php?32117-Coordinates-to-Region-File-Calculator (yes calculating it by myself would also not be difficult ;))

Thanks dudes!

Ps: ok selftest, treasure chests stay, but air drops and all built stuff is gone

Every region file you delete will be reset to its original form based on your seed name which generates the hub files

Hub files are the terrain without changes. Region files are the player made changes which override what the hub files contain

If you delete all region files, all player made changes will be wiped

Some busy servers will regularly delete regions containing cities to keep them "fresh", because otherwise over day 500 or so you will end up with nothing left as all the cars will be gone and cops will be blowing up the remaining loot containers

Managers like botman let you mark refresh zones so players are warned to only build temporary structures in cities. Anything they want long term should be in zones you dont plan to reset