Harvest rates, loot abundance, and resource multipliers are among the most impactful server settings in 7 Days to Die. Properly configuring these values ensures that your server's progression speed matches your group's preferred playstyle—whether you're running a casual co-op server, a balanced survival experience, or a hardcore permadeath challenge.
Note: All harvest and loot settings are configured in serverconfig.xml located in your server's root directory. Changes require a server restart to take effect, and some settings may only apply to newly generated chunks.
The following table lists the primary XML properties that control resource gathering, loot availability, and progression speed. Default values are based on vanilla 7 Days to Die Alpha 21.
| Setting | Default Value | Description | Casual (Recommended) | Balanced (Recommended) | Hardcore (Recommended) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
BlockDamagePlayer |
100 | Percentage of damage players deal to blocks. Affects mining speed, tree chopping, and general block destruction. | 150–200 | 100–125 | 75–90 |
LootAbundance |
100 | Percentage multiplier for items found in containers, loot bags, and world spawns. 100 = vanilla amounts. | 150–200 | 100–125 | 50–75 |
LootRespawnDays |
30 | Number of in-game days before loot containers respawn. Set to 0 to disable respawn entirely. | 5–10 | 20–30 | 60+ (or 0) |
AirDropFrequency |
72 | Hours between air drop events. Lower values increase frequency; 0 disables air drops. | 24–48 | 72–96 | 120+ (or 0) |
XPMultiplier |
100 | Global experience gain multiplier. Keeps skill progression aligned with resource gathering speed. | 150–200 | 100–125 | 75–90 |
DropOnDeath |
0 | What players drop on death: 0=Nothing, 1=Toolbelt, 2=Backpack, 3=Everything. | 1 (Toolbelt) | 2 (Backpack) | 3 (Everything) |
DropOnQuit |
0 | Whether players drop items when logging out: 0=No, 1=Toolbelt, 2=Backpack, 3=Everything. | 0 | 0 | 2–3 |
PlayerSafeZoneHours |
0 | Hours after death during which the player's backpack is protected from other players. | 24–48 | 6–12 | 0–1 |
For fine‑grained control over specific resources, you can edit items.xml and blocks.xml in the game's data folder. This allows you to change:
items.xml, search for “wood”).blocks.xml, MiningTool entries).Example (items.xml): To double the amount of wood obtained from trees, locate the wood resource entry and increase its <property name="Stacksize" > or adjust the harvesting output multipliers in the corresponding tool definitions.
Warning: Editing XML files directly can break compatibility with future updates and mods. Always back up original files and consider using modlets for targeted changes.
Several popular mods dramatically alter harvest and loot mechanics. Understanding their interaction with vanilla settings is crucial for server admins.
| Mod Name | Effect on Harvest/Loot | Recommended Vanilla Adjustments |
|---|---|---|
| Harvest Plus | Increases yield from trees, rocks, and ore nodes. Often includes configurable multipliers. | Set BlockDamagePlayer to 100 and let the mod handle yields. |
| Darkness Falls | Adds new resources, changes progression, and rebalances loot tables. Specialized hosting is recommended for DF servers. | Use mod‑default settings; override only if you understand DF's economy. |
| Undead Legacy | Slows early‑game harvesting, adds tiered tools, and introduces scrap‑based crafting. | Increase BlockDamagePlayer slightly (110–120) to offset early‑game grind. |
| Ravenhearst | Extensive loot table overhauls and realistic resource gathering. | Keep vanilla rates; the mod is balanced around its own economy. |
LootRespawnDays counts in‑game days, not real‑time hours. If set to 30, players must experience 30 full days before containers respawn.AirDropFrequency is not set to 0. Also verify that the server’s world time is advancing (players must be online for time to pass).