Thought it might be the lootcrate settings...

I'm looking at hundreds of units of hfuel outside manhattan.

goods.ini
[Good]
nickname = commodity_H_fuel
msg_id_prefix = gcs_gen_commodity_hfuel
equipment = commodity_H_fuel
category = commodity
price = 300
combinable = true
good_sell_price = 1.04
bad_buy_price = 1.04
bad_sell_price = 0.41
good_buy_price = 0.41
shop_archetype = Equipment\models\commodities\nn_icons\cwire_transparts_1.3db
item_icon = Equipment\models\commodities\nn_icons\COMMOD_hfuels.3db
jump_dist = 6

According to select_equip.ini hfuel is dropped in lootcrate_white
[Commodity]
nickname = commodity_H_fuel
ids_name = 261625
ids_info = 65899
units_per_container = 30
pod_appearance = cargopod_white
loot_appearance = lootcrate_white
decay_per_second = 0
volume = 1
hit_pts = 250

[LootCrate]
nickname = lootcrate_white
DA_archetype = Equipment\models\commodities\crates\crate_white.3db
LODranges = 0, 150
hit_pts = 250
mass = 10
explosion_arch = debris_normal

So, now to look at debris_normal in explosions.ini

[Debris]
nickname = debris_normal
death_method = vanishing
lifetime = 1, 7
linear_drag = 0
angular_drag = 0, 0, 0
trail = gf_explosion_debris_trail01

again, nothing out of the ordinary

This seems to be a global thing regardless of the loot dropped. Equipment, ammo, commodities, etc.

Wow... fast response.

But I'm confused.

Here's constants.ini from SDK 1.3

[Constants]
COLLISION_DAMAGE_FACTOR = 0.500000
MUSIC_CROSS_FADE_DELAY = 10.000000
MUZZLE_CONE_ANGLE = 40
PLAYER_COLLISION_GROUP_HIT_PTS_SCALE = 3
PLAYER_ATTACHED_EQUIP_HIT_PTS_SCALE = 5

[EngineEquipConsts]
CRUISE_DISRUPT_TIME = 5
MAX_DELTA_FX_THROTTLE = 0.250000
THROTTLE_STEADY_TIME = 0.500000
THROTTLE_ATTEN_MOD_RANGE = 8.000000
DELTA_THROTTLE_ATTEN_MOD_CHANGING = 8.000000
DELTA_THROTTLE_ATTEN_MOD_STEADY = -1.000000
CRUISE_STEADY_TIME = 2.000000
DELTA_CRUISE_ATTEN_MOD_STEADY = -1.000000
CRUISE_ATTEN_MOD_RANGE = 8.000000

[ShieldEquipConsts]
HULL_DAMAGE_FACTOR = 0.500000

[PhySysConsts]
MATERIAL_FRICTION = 0.100000
MATERIAL_ELASTICITY = 0.900000
DEFAULT_LINEAR_DAMPING = 0.500000
DEFAULT_ANGULAR_DAMPING = 0.200000, 0.200000, 0.200000

[CommConsts]
COMM_PLAYER_FAR_DIST = 6000.000000
COMM_PLAYER_FAR_DIST_ATTEN = 0.000000
CHATTER_MAX_DIST = 3500.000000
CHATTER_MAX_DIST_ATTEN = -16.000000
CHATTER_START_ATTEN = -2.000000
COMM_CONFLICT_PRIORITY_CUTOFF = -3
WALLA_MAX_DIST = 3500.000000
WALLA_MAX_DIST_ATTEN = -24.000000
WALLA_START_ATTEN = -8.000000
WALLA_PRIORITY_CUTOFF = -3

[AsteroidConsts]
MAX_ASTEROID_LOOT_DAMAGE = 20000.000000
MAX_LOOT_PER_ASTEROID = 3

and from JFLP (what we use)

[Constants]
COLLISION_DAMAGE_FACTOR = 0.5
MUSIC_CROSS_FADE_DELAY = 10
MUZZLE_CONE_ANGLE = 40
PLAYER_COLLISION_GROUP_HIT_PTS_SCALE = 3
PLAYER_ATTACHED_EQUIP_HIT_PTS_SCALE = 5

[EngineEquipConsts]
CRUISE_DISRUPT_TIME = 5
MAX_DELTA_FX_THROTTLE = 0.25
THROTTLE_STEADY_TIME = 0.5
THROTTLE_ATTEN_MOD_RANGE = 8
DELTA_THROTTLE_ATTEN_MOD_CHANGING = 8
DELTA_THROTTLE_ATTEN_MOD_STEADY = -1
CRUISE_STEADY_TIME = 2
DELTA_CRUISE_ATTEN_MOD_STEADY = -1
CRUISE_ATTEN_MOD_RANGE = 8

[ShieldEquipConsts]
HULL_DAMAGE_FACTOR = 0.5

[PhySysConsts]
MATERIAL_FRICTION = 0.1
MATERIAL_ELASTICITY = 0.9
DEFAULT_LINEAR_DAMPING = 0.5
DEFAULT_ANGULAR_DAMPING = 0.2, 0.2, 0.2

[CommConsts]
COMM_PLAYER_FAR_DIST = 6000
COMM_PLAYER_FAR_DIST_ATTEN = 0
CHATTER_MAX_DIST = 3500
CHATTER_MAX_DIST_ATTEN = -16
CHATTER_START_ATTEN = -2
COMM_CONFLICT_PRIORITY_CUTOFF = -3
WALLA_MAX_DIST = 3500
WALLA_MAX_DIST_ATTEN = -24
WALLA_START_ATTEN = -8
WALLA_PRIORITY_CUTOFF = -3

Note that neither mentions those entries. Is it something I need to add? If so, why did it work before?

R

Sorry, that is one of the addons, it goes in the top section like this:

[Constants]
COLLISION_DAMAGE_FACTOR = 0.600000
MUSIC_CROSS_FADE_DELAY = 10.000000
MUZZLE_CONE_ANGLE = 40
PLAYER_COLLISION_GROUP_HIT_PTS_SCALE = 3
PLAYER_ATTACHED_EQUIP_HIT_PTS_SCALE = 5
LOOT_UNSEEN_RADIUS = 2500
LOOT_UNSEEN_LIFE_TIME = 120.00
MAX_PLAYER_AMMO = 100

edit..but if you are still doing 'optional' mod on top of vanilla, better check to see if that messes things up...

The defaults are 2500 & 60, so I wouldn't be too hopeful. Can't see anything obvious that would stop it working. It's not the really obvious is it - there's still a player seeing it?

Didn't someone come up with the npc tractor loot business to stop this scenario from occurring. Somethings telling me this might have always been a problem.

Interesting...

This phenomena apparently started when we changed a number of things on our server, not the least of which was switching to the JFLP update.

I didn't think it was the JFLP update that was causing the problem but now I'm not so sure.

I'm running a vanilla server with the only patches applied being the MS 1.1 update, and the JFLP update.

If I kill a ship causing it to drop loot and then go away for a few minutes, at least 5k away, the loot disappears.

But, if I kill a ship causing it to drop loot and then log out of the server, when I come back, even hours later, the loot is still there.

Very odd.
Continuing to investigate.

Something else I've noticed. I've sat in front of manhattan bored at times, launching surplus admin nukes at passing ships until space is just cluttered with loot. If I do this often or long enough, the NPCs start attacking each other, out of roleplay. Guilds neutral to each other just start shooting each other on sight. It's funny to see but it's not right. A server reboot makes everything well again.

I'll try your test parameters. If it's there on login but disappears shortly after someone logs in but moves out of the radius, then I suppose it's all right after all.