Here we cover the sandbox settings available in V3.0 “Dead Hot Summer.” Start by checking the “Key Settings Default Quick Reference” below to see the initial values of the settings that most strongly shape your gameplay experience, then decide as a group which items you want to change. For a comprehensive list, see the “Full 150-Item Reference” in the second half; for an overview of the presets, see “The 150 Sandbox Settings and Official Presets.”
The “Default” values in the quick reference are the values actually applied on the live server (V3.0.0 b252, initial preset). The “Example Options” are representative values; in practice you can choose from finer-grained steps.
Key Settings Default Quick Reference (for deciding as a group)
We’ve hand-picked the settings that noticeably change how the game feels and that you’ll want to set a server-wide policy on. Look at this table and raise the items you want to change via comments/votes. Any items that aren’t raised will run as-is on their “Default.”
Difficulty & Combat
| Setting | Description | Default | Example Options |
|---|---|---|---|
| Player Damage Taken | Amount of damage the player takes from all sources | 100% | 50% / 100% / 150% / 200% |
| Enemy Damage | Amount of damage enemies deal to the player | 100% | 50% / 100% / 150% / 200% |
| XP Multiplier | Multiplier applied to XP earned | 100% | 50% / 100% / 150% / 200% |
| Death Penalty | The penalty imposed after death | XP Only | None / XP Only / Injured / Permanent Death |
| Drop On Death | Items dropped on the spot when you die | Everything | Nothing / Everything / Toolbelt Only / Backpack Only / Delete All |
| Infection Progression Speed | How fast infection stages advance | 100% | 0% (Disabled) / 50% / 100% / 150% |
Zombies
| Setting | Description | Default | Example Options |
|---|---|---|---|
| Daytime Zombie Move Speed | Speed of normal zombies during the day (excluding feral/special) | Walk | Walk / Jog / Run / Sprint / Nightmare |
| Nighttime Zombie Move Speed | Speed of normal zombies at night | Sprint | Walk / Jog / Run / Sprint / Nightmare |
| Feral Zombie Move Speed | Speed of feral zombies | Sprint | Walk / Jog / Run / Sprint / Nightmare |
| Zombie Blood Moon Move Speed | Speed during Blood Moon / horde | Sprint | Walk / Jog / Run / Sprint / Nightmare |
| Zombie Sense Ability | How keenly they detect the player by sight and sound | Off | Off / Day / Night / Always |
| Zombie Digging | Allow them to dig straight down (horizontal digging is always allowed) | Yes | No / Yes |
| Highest Enemy Type | The cap on which zombie types can appear | Elite | Normal / Tough / Special / Feral / Radiated / Elite |
| Enemy Density | Number of enemies spawned in each biome | Default | Default / Very Low / Low / Medium / High / Very High |
Blood Moon & World
| Setting | Description | Default | Example Options |
|---|---|---|---|
| Blood Moon Frequency | How many days apart it occurs (Disabled = never occurs) | 7 Days | Disabled / 1 to several dozen days |
| Blood Moon Enemy Count | Maximum number of zombies per player | 8 | 8 / 16 / 32 / 60 |
| Blood Moon Range | Number of days it can vary before or after the scheduled day | 0 Days | 0 to 15 days |
| 24-Hour Cycle | Real time (minutes) it takes for 24 in-game hours | 60 min | 10 / 30 / 60 / 90 / 120 min |
| Daylight Length | Hours of daylight per day | 18 Hours | Always Night / 4 to 20 / Always Day |
| Air Drop | How often supply crates arrive | Every 3 Days | Disabled / Every Day / 1 to 7 Days |
| Storm Frequency | How likely storms are (None = never occurs) | 100% | None / 50% / 100% / 150% |
| Biome Progression | Turns biome hazards on/off | Yes | No / Yes |
Resources & Loot
| Setting | Description | Default | Example Options |
|---|---|---|---|
| Loot Abundance | Total amount of loot obtainable (None = all looting disabled) | 100% | None / 50% / 100% / 150% / 200% |
| Loot Respawn Days | Number of days until containers reset | 7 Days | Disabled / Several days and up |
| Max Loot Tier | The maximum tier of items found in loot | 6 | 1 to 6 |
| Mining Yield | Amount of ore obtained from mining | 100% | 50% / 100% / 200% / 300% |
| Harvest On Destroy Yield | Amount of resources obtained from destroying blocks | 100% | 50% / 100% / 200% |
Crafting & Economy
| Setting | Description | Default | Example Options |
|---|---|---|---|
| Smelting Type | Crafting method at the forge | Smelting | Smelting (melt down) / Recipe (direct) |
| Gated Crafting Progression | Whether unlocks via magazines/schematics apply | Yes | No / Yes |
| Allow Buying/Selling | Allow trading with trader NPCs | Yes | No / Yes |
| Trader Reset | How often stock is refreshed | Default | Default / 1 to several days |
| Quests Per Tier | Number of quests needed to unlock the next tier | 10 | None / Numeric value |
Full 150-Item Reference
From here on is a list of all 150 items configurable in V3.0, organized by category. Each setting has at least two possible values, and the combinations run into the billions.
Player Settings
Ranged Damage / Melee Damage / Block Damage / Terrain Damage / Headshot Multiplier / Damage Taken (Player) / Walk Speed / Run Speed / Crouch Speed / Jump Strength / Stamina Regen / Stamina Drain / XP Multiplier / XP Display / Stat Bonus Per Level / Skill Gain Rate / Skill Gain Amount / Death Penalty / Loss On Death / Number Lost On Death / Degradation On Death / Degradation Amount On Death / Drop On Death / Drop On Quit / Infection Rate / New Player Buff / Encumbrance Slots / Bottle Return
Entity Settings
Enemy Spawning / Max Enemy Tier / Enemy Density / Enemy Respawn / Biome Animal Respawn / Enemy Damage Dealt / Damage Taken (Entity) / Enemy Block Damage / Blood Moon Block Damage / Headshot Mode / Entity Health Bar / Entity Damage Numbers / Zombie Day Speed / Zombie Night Speed / Zombie Feral Speed / Zombie Blood Moon Speed / Feral Sense / AI Sense Mode / Zombie Rage / Zombie Digging / Zombies Feed On Animals
World Settings
Global Gamestage / Biome Gamestage / Biome Progression / Temperature Survival / Max Tech Type / Outdoor Workstations / Blood Moon Frequency / Blood Moon Range / Blood Moon Count / Blood Moon Warning / Air Drop / Air Drop Spread / Storm Frequency / Storm Warning / Heatmap Sensitivity / 24-Day Cycle / Daylight Length / Air Drop Marker / Map Allowed / Compass Allowed / Screen Marker Allowed / Position Info Display / Date & Time Display
Resource Settings
Max Loot Tier / Global Loot Stage / Biome Loot Stage / POI Loot Stage / Loot Respawn Days / Loot Timer / Loot Bag Drop / Loot Abundance / Food Abundance / Drink Abundance / Medical Abundance / Ammo Abundance / Resource Abundance / Armor Abundance / Melee Weapon Abundance / Ranged Weapon Abundance / Currency Abundance / Magazine Abundance / Treasure Map Chance / Mining Yield / Crop Yield / Seed Drop / Resource Yield / Crop Growth
Crafting Settings
Crafting Progression / Craft Max Tier / Magazine Progression / Backpack Crafting / Workstation Crafting / Smelter Type / Craft Timer / Craft Cost / Craft Yield / Scrap Yield / Dew Collector Timer / Dew Collector Yield / Dew Collector Input / Beehive Time / Beehive Yield / Beehive Input / Item Degradation / Repair Method / Repair Degradation
Trader
Enable Trading / Enable Vending Machines / Trader Open Hours / Trader Protection / Trade Dialog / Global Trader Stage / Trader Max Tier / Trader Stock Count / Vending Machine Stock Count / Trader Reset / Vending Machine Reset / Sell Price / Buy Price / Trader Buy Cap
Task Settings
Challenges / Quests / Intro Challenges / Intro Quests / Trade Routes / Buried Supplies Quests / POI Quests / Quests Per Tier / Quests Per Day / Base Skill Points
Other Settings
Vehicle Fuel Consumption / Vehicle Entity Damage / Vehicle Block Damage / Vehicle Self Damage / Power Output / Kill Effects / Big Head / Tiny Zombies / Gravity / Funny Sounds / Black & White Display