MP-Server - Map mods update and save cells - Updating cells - Removing cells

[4Penguins]

Hi PZ community

 

We are running a few community servers with PZ, and a huge amount of mods. No issues there.

I have a few questions regarding mod maps, cells and where the data is stored.
A map updated, and are causing alot of problems that we would like to solve.

 

What I can find, the way to reset a mod map is by deleting the affected cells;

Stop the Server!
Get into the following folder: Saves/Servertest
Delete the Specific Cells which are written in the mod.
Restart Server.
Server should now automatically generate the "lost" cells and now it should be reset.

 

I can easily find the cell, and delete them, but when we start the server its still a mess.

If I remove the mod from the ini files, delete the cells, and start the server again, the town is not on the ingame map, but the building are still in the world.

This must mean that the game also saves the data elsewhere than in the save directory cells.

 

So;

 

Is it still possible to reset cells / remove a mod map from a MP server, or is this a old feature?

 

Are the server saving data other places than Saves/Servertest regarding wold map and buildings?

 

From all os us, best game ever!

 

Best regards

Project Zomboid Legend Community.

 

[Beard]

Which specific files are you deleting if I can ask, are you using any tools for it?

[4Penguins]

I'm using FileZilla to connect to the host server.
Then browsing to Saves\Multiplayer\servertest\ and in my case deleting chunkdata_29_32.bin and;

(29,32) (30,32) (31,32)
(29,33) (30,33) (31,33)
(29,34) (30,34) (31,34)

I then click refresh and can see they are removed from the directory.

 

When we boot the server, and visit the area, the buildings are still there, and new bin files are created for the cells we visit.

[Beard]

Chunkdata only contains specific info about the chunks, but those are not the actual chunks.
The actual map info is in the map.bin files.

[4Penguins]

Oh, well I learned something new today then, thats positive

But the leads me to, where do I find the respected map.bin files then, so I can push the big delete button there, hehe.

[Beard]

They are in the exact same folder as the chunk data files, in the specific Save folder for the server.

[4Penguins]

Ah ok, so after your comment and a bit more googling, I figured it out.

Beside deleting the chunk data matching the mod description, you also have to look up the affected map sections and delete those.

A cell contains 30x30 map bins with another number system, that have to be looked up on a map.
In this case its 9810 files that needs to be deleted.
I understand now why, no one wants to reset a town on a ongoing MP server.

[Beard]

You would be basically correct. Though you can use a tool such as this one:
https://grabofus.github.io/zomboid-chunk-cleaner/

[4Penguins]

Thank you for that link, I will see if we can use that in a way next time.

Guess we just have to download the folder from the server, and load it, then upload it again.

 

Thank you, really, for your help

[Kafkatrap]

On 2/6/2023 at 5:06 PM, Beard said:

You would be basically correct. Though you can use a tool such as this one:
https://grabofus.github.io/zomboid-chunk-cleaner/

Are the devs considering adding this functionality to the base game? 

I'm pretty sure it would be very appreciated by people who host bigger servers where players go around dismantling entire towns to level their carpentry and metalworking skills every time they die, effectively leaving entire cities empty. 

Suggested additions: 
- An option to keep all the chunks associated to player safehouses intact.
- An option to clean the selected chunks in regular intervals, say once an in-game week or month. 

[Cyro]

 

On 3/26/2023 at 7:21 PM, Kafkatrap said:

Are the devs considering adding this functionality to the base game? 

I'm pretty sure it would be very appreciated by people who host bigger servers where players go around dismantling entire towns to level their carpentry and metalworking skills every time they die, effectively leaving entire cities empty. 

Suggested additions: 
- An option to keep all the chunks associated to player safehouses intact.
- An option to clean the selected chunks in regular intervals, say once an in-game week or month. 

I know I have seen this done in a server before, I am very curious to know how the administrator pulled this off because he ran a very long life and efficient economy server.