Tools / Project Zomboid Recipes / Long-Haul Persistent (Build 42)

Long-Haul Persistent (Build 42)

World keeps ticking 24/7. For asynchronous groups where players log in at different times and want a living world.

warning · Project Zomboid 42 · verified 2026-05-26 · vanilla, build-42, persistent, async

Settings to apply

Values to set in each file, one per line, grouped by the file they belong in. This is not the file's own format: copy the values across rather than pasting the block. Dotted names are nested, so visibility.public means a public key inside a visibility object.

[servertest.ini]
MaxPlayers=12
PauseEmpty=false
PVP=false
SafetySystem=true
ShowSafety=true
DisplayUserName=true
ServerWelcomeMessage=Welcome - the world doesn't wait for you.
SaveWorldEveryMinutes=15
HoursForLootRespawn=336
MaxItemsForLootRespawn=6

Download serverpack.json Host this preset

Install steps

Download the generated serverpack.json for a portable copy of this preset.
Copy the config values above into the matching dedicated-server config file.
Restart the server and test a fresh connection before inviting players.

Notes

Verified against Build 42 before it reached Stable. Build 42 went Stable on 29 July 2026 and hotfixes ran to 42.20.4 on 26 August, which removed the Lua loadstring and loadstream methods and broke any mod that used them. Re-test this recipe on 42.20.4 before relying on it, and check the modpack through the Workshop Importer, which flags items untouched since that date.
PauseEmpty=false is the key setting - time advances even with no one online. Pair with no-respawn or short-life characters for the full effect.
SaveWorldEveryMinutes=15 reduces lost progress if the server crashes during async play.
HoursForLootRespawn=336 (2 weeks) means abandoned safehouses eventually get re-lootable, but slowly enough that the world feels stable.
Server CPU stays busy 24/7 with this config - budget accordingly.

serverpack.json

{
  "schema_version": "0.2",
  "game": "project-zomboid",
  "game_version": "42",
  "source": null,
  "compat": {
    "min_game_version": "42",
    "max_game_version": null
  },
  "provenance": {
    "tool": "recipe:long-haul-persistent-build-42",
    "generated_by": "tools.supercraft.host",
    "generated_at": "2026-10-08T22:54:10.103418+00:00"
  },
  "install": {
    "requires_restart": true
  },
  "mods": [],
  "configs": {
    "servertest.ini": {
      "MaxPlayers": "12",
      "PauseEmpty": "false",
      "PVP": "false",
      "SafetySystem": "true",
      "ShowSafety": "true",
      "DisplayUserName": "true",
      "ServerWelcomeMessage": "Welcome - the world doesn't wait for you.",
      "SaveWorldEveryMinutes": "15",
      "HoursForLootRespawn": "336",
      "MaxItemsForLootRespawn": "6"
    }
  }
}