Land Claim Block

[Debo]

Version

N/A This is in all versions

Platform

Windows

Suggestion: Make Land Claim Blocks Indestructible While Owner is Offline to Prevent Easy Griefing on Public Servers
Hey everyone,
I've been running a public 7 Days to Die server ("Duncan Blonuts Extreme Peace") for a while now, and I love the multiplayer aspect, but the land claim system has a massive griefing exploit that's ruining the fun for legit players. Yesterday, a random player named "w twins" (SteamID: 76561198259614827) joined my server, waited for me to log off, then placed a new Land Claim Block (LCB) directly on top of my base's existing one. This overwrote my claim, making my entire base griefable. He (or someone using his account) then looted/destroyed everything inside.
Log (output_log_dedi__2025-11-29__11-32-41.txt):
text

2025-11-30T20:17:44 INF Placing land claim block at (112, 68, -587) by playerName 'w twins' steamID=76561198259614827 entityID=173
2025-11-30T20:17:44 INF LCP placed by w twins at 112 68 -587

• My base coords: Exactly that spot.
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• When I logged back in and hit the new LCB, it played the "off-team hit" sound — confirming it's not owned by me or my party member (we're partied, so claims share permissions).
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• Result: Days of work gone. No warning, no recourse except banning after the fact.

This isn't isolated — griefers do this constantly on public servers by overlapping claims while owners are offline. Current LCBs can be destroyed/replaced too easily: low HP, no offline protection beyond decay timers (which don't help against instant overwrites). Claims expire after X days offline, but that's useless if someone claims your spot first.

My Proposed Rework: Offline-Indestructible LCBs​

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• Core Feature: LCBs become completely indestructible (or have 1,000,000+ HP) while the owner is offline (last login < 30–60 minutes ago).
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  • Once owner logs back in, it reverts to normal destructible state (so friends/teammates can manage it).
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• Visual Cue: Offline LCBs glow golden/invulnerable (like admin blocks) with a tooltip: "Protected: Owner Offline".
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• Overlap Prevention: Cannot place a new LCB if it would overlap >50% with an active offline-protected claim.
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• Configurable: Server admins set "OfflineProtectionMinutes" (default: 45) and "OfflineInvulnHP" (default: infinite).
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• Party Support: Protection applies to entire party — if any party member was online recently, the claim stays protected.

Why This Fixes Griefing Without Breaking Gameplay​

Issue	Current System	Proposed Fix
Offline Overwrite	Anyone can place LCB on your spot while you're AFK/offline.	New LCBs block on overlap with protected claims.
Base Raiding	Griefers destroy LCB → loot everything.	LCB invincible offline → base safe until you log in.
Public Servers	Hard to moderate 24/7.	Auto-protection reduces reports/bans needed.
Teams/Friends	Shared claims work fine.	Party-wide protection.
Abuse Prevention	N/A	Reverts to destructible on login; configurable timers.

This keeps claims meaningful (online = manageable) but stops drive-by griefing. It's simple XML config for server owners, no UI changes needed.
TL;DR: Offline LCB invincibility + overlap block = goodbye griefers, hello safe public MP.
What do you think, @madmole @RE-8? Similar ideas floating around already. Would love dev feedback!

Thanks, Debo (Server Owner) Steam: 76561197963230431

 

[WretchedDollie]

Hello Debo,

I’m sorry to hear you’ve been having issues with your land claim. I understand how frustrating it can be when something appears not to be working as intended. I ran tests this morning to verify that land claims are functioning properly, but I was unable to reproduce the issue you described.

For testing, I used both a dedicated server and P2P. A second player logged in, placed a claim, and then logged out. We tested using the following land-claim settings:

<property name="LandClaimCount" value="5"/><!-- Maximum allowed land claims per player. -->

<property name="LandClaimSize" value="41"/><!-- Size in blocks that is protected by a keystone -->

<property name="LandClaimDeadZone" value="30"/><!-- Keystones must be this many blocks apart (unless you are friends with the other player) -->

<property name="LandClaimExpiryTime" value="7"/><!-- The number of real world days a player can be offline before their claims expire and are no longer protected -->

<property name="LandClaimDecayMode" value="0"/><!-- Controls how offline players land claims decay. 0=Slow (Linear) , 1=Fast (Exponential), 2=None (Full protection until claim is expired). -->

<property name="LandClaimOnlineDurabilityModifier" value="0"/><!-- How much protected claim area block hardness is increased when a player is online. 0 means infinite (no damage will ever be taken). Default is 4x -->

<property name="LandClaimOfflineDurabilityModifier" value="0"/><!-- How much protected claim area block hardness is increased when a player is offline. 0 means infinite (no damage will ever be taken). Default is 4x -->

<property name="LandClaimOfflineDelay" value="0"/><!-- The number of minutes after a player logs out that the land claim area hardness transitions from online to offline. Default is 0 -->

If you were not using the “0 = infinite durability” settings and your land claim was still active but vulnerable, please send any additional details that might help us reproduce the issue. Also, please let us know if EAC is active on your server and whether you are using any mods that may have affected your landclaim. Your assistance is greatly appreciated.

Regards,
Dollie