seting revised zones to load with expansion limits
 

I'm attempting to limit the server to LDON and lower. which is successful my modifying rule_values table. (World:ExpansionSettings 63)

my problem is that the newer zones like east freeport that have an expansion value of 12 are locked out. I expected that I could just change the expansion value in the zone table to 1 to work around this. the client_version_mask for those zones are set to All (4294967295). unfortunately that doesn't seem to be the case. How can I load these newer zones yet still locked down expansion to LDON and older? I'm using the ROF2 client.

You don't need to touch that expansion field in the zone table at all, simply set that in the rules
like you did (63) and could do same in variables table as well.
To close any zones off, past ldon, set the min_status in the zone table for all those zones to a GM,
like 80 or something.
You want to keep all zones with "expansion" 7 (and below) open for LDoN and close off the rest.
example sql query :
UPDATE zone SET min_status = 80 WHERE expansion > 7;

BUT if you are planning on keeping some of them later ones open, such as GH and GL, etc.,
you will have to change the min_status back to 0 for all non-GM toons to get in. You will also
need to check and/or adjust all doors and zone points to use the versions of zones you want.
Example: freporte (old) vs freeporteast (new)

setting expansion in both variables and rule_values to 63 blocks players from creating characters in East Freeport. client indicates that they are missing the expansion.

I want to limit the server to LDON using the new zones for freeport, etc. however something is blocking that when i set the expansions to ldon or older.

changing min_status to 0 on new freeport zones does not change the missing expansion message.

World:UseClientBasedExpansionSettings (true or false) ?

set to false.

Not sure why you're having that problem. I've never had it myself.

Just thought of something, you're getting that message at character creation screen.
Try this:
UPDATE char_create_combinations SET expansions_req = 0

Thanks Grumpy that will probably work. I'll need to modify this to only open up combinations up to LDON though. I don't want Drakkin in the game. or Wood Elf Beastlords etc.

You can go into that char_create_combination table and get rid of any classes/races
as you desire. ALSO need to edit the start_zones table to match those edits.
For example, if you get rid of all entries of race 522, you prevent drakkins from being
an option at character creation screen.