Server-wide settings controlling cleanup timers, spawn rates, entity limits, and core gameplay mechanics that affect the entire DayZ server experience.
The globals.xml file contains server-wide variables that control fundamental aspects of your server. This includes entity limits for zombies and animals, cleanup timers for corpses and ruined items, loot spawn settings, and player timing for login/logout sequences.
Each <var> element defines a global variable with a name, type (0=integer, 1=float), and value.
<variables>
<var name="AnimalMaxCount" type="0" value="200"/>
<var name="ZombieMaxCount" type="0" value="1000"/>
<var name="CleanupLifetimeDeadPlayer" type="0" value="3600"/>
<var name="LootDamageMax" type="1" value="0.82"/>
<var name="TimeLogin" type="0" value="15"/>
</variables>Maximum number of animals that can exist on the server simultaneously. Higher values increase hunting opportunities but impact server performance. Default: 200.
Maximum number of infected that can spawn across the entire server. This is a hard cap - the server will not spawn more regardless of player count. Default: 1000.
Distance in meters between spawn zones. Controls how spread out spawn points are across the map. Lower values create denser spawn areas. Default: 300.
Time in seconds before dead player bodies are removed from the world. Default 3600 (1 hour) gives players time to recover gear. Shorter times reduce server load.
Time in seconds before zombie corpses despawn. Default 330 (5.5 min). Lower values keep areas cleaner but may feel less immersive.
Time in seconds before animal carcasses are removed. Default 1200 (20 min) allows time for skinning and meat collection.
Time in seconds before ruined items are cleaned up. Default 330. Ruined items serve no purpose, so shorter times help server performance.
Range of damage values (0.0-1.0) for spawned loot. Items spawn with random damage between these values. Default: 0.0 min, 0.82 max. Set both to 0 for pristine loot only.
Distance in meters to avoid spawning loot near players. Prevents items from appearing directly in front of players. Default: 100.
Enables (1) or disables (0) the loot proxy placement system. When enabled, items spawn at designated proxy positions within buildings for more realistic placement.
Time in seconds for the login countdown. Players must wait this duration before spawning in. Default: 15. Prevents instant combat logging abuse.
Time in seconds for the logout countdown. Players must wait this duration before disconnecting safely. Default: 15. Prevents combat logging.
Cooldown in seconds between server hops. Prevents players from rapidly switching servers to farm loot or escape danger. Default: 60.
Additional time penalty in seconds applied for various infractions like disconnecting during combat. Default: 20.
Enables (1) or disables (0) food decay mechanics. When enabled, food items will spoil over time, adding survival challenge.
Distance in meters to avoid cleanup when players are nearby. Prevents items from despawning while players are interacting with them. Default: 100.
Initial spawn delay in seconds after server start before the economy begins spawning items. Default: 1200 (20 min). Allows server to stabilize.
Start server in idle mode (1) or active mode (0). Idle mode reduces resource usage when no players are connected.
Time in seconds before server enters idle mode after last player disconnects. Default: 60.
Enables (1) or disables (0) world wetness and temperature updates. Affects how weather impacts the environment.
The type attribute determines the value format: type="0" for integers, type="1" for floats. Monitor your server's performance after adjusting entity limits - high ZombieMaxCount values are the most common cause of server lag. For PvP-focused servers, consider increasing TimeLogout to 30+ seconds to further discourage combat logging.