If you are using Akka's script you just edit the "t_start_server.bat" file and change zones="X" to however many you want.

The benefit's to running extra? More people can be in different zones at once. If there are no zone processes available people will try to zone and receive an error message, then end up at the safe point of the zone they were already in. The don't consume a lot of resources and it definitely pays to have more than you need, but basically - balance it around your population.

I actually have to apologize, simply because I've never used Akka's installer
and I don't even know what the start scripts look like, as I've done all my own
source compiling/installs, etc., but in the database, the 'launcher" table, which
has 2 columns, 'Name' and 'Dynamics' I use zone for name and 75 for dynamics.
Then when running the cmd eqlaunch.exe zone in my own script, it will launch
those 75 dynamics. But I run as much as I can from the database without the
use of scripts. As far as how many dynamics, don't use mine as "needed", it's
far from what I do need right now. I'm just doing my own thing. :)

Beautiful that is exactly what I needed to know. I am assuming I should also change "peq" or "zone" entry in the launcher table in the database to my elevated number as well but not sure which does which there yet. Also there is a win_server_launcher.pl file and it says if there is a zones_to_launch statement in the .bat file then it will launch 10 zones. I assume this is if you don't set it in the .bat file but I changed the pl file too just in case.

Hmm so with akka's db it has a peq entry and a zone entry. By default peq dynamics is 40 and zone is 5 so I would assume peq is the amount of zones up? Or should I set both to my higher number just to be safe?

I'm not sure that I understand how Akkadius's scripts operate..but...

I do believe that they bypass the use of eqlaunch.exe.

If that's the case, then I'm not sure how much the db table values come into play.

Uleat, then can they not be mixed?

Don't ask me..not my script :P

Just going off of comments I hear in chat..though, your post would indicate otherwise.

Really should just do dynamics + long shutdown delays. Statics are unecessary

I completely did not realize until now that the shutdown delay was a per-zone setting! Holy crap *runs off to do like an extra 70 dynamic zones, then increase shutdown timers on them*

Cool, I learned something new today!! Shutdown delay!

Any recommendations for length of time? 1-2 hours?

I have a default value of 5000, is this in seconds?


Celestial

years.....

LOL

60000 looks like its 60 secs.

If you don't want people to be able to cycle loot on NPCs, the only way is to do static zones. Otherwise it will change every time the zone starts backup. For that reason I do statics on raid zones. Even with a long delay, loot still changes when the zone boots up.

Apparently no one read my post on the first page explaining all of this

The disadvantage to dynamic zones is this:

If you have a named mob you want to kill that has a minimum chance to spawn every four hours that also has a placeholder with a zone shutdown delay of one hour, you could essentially check the zone every hour in the hopes that the named is up without having to kill the placeholder. Granted, the zone has very little foot traffic to prevent the zone from staying open/active.

With a static zone, let's say the placeholder is up. It will STAY up indefinitely until someone kills it. Thus not allowing lazy players to cycle-check the zone.

The solution? You'd want the dynamic zone shutdown delay to match or exceed the longest timed mob that has a placeholder in the zone in order to behave more static and live-like. I know it was an example, but an hour shutdown delay won't always do it for the crafty loot-seeker. Which basically means you'll need a custom shutdown delay for every zone you don't want this happening in.