Dump out your configs from the game, and post how the xml comes out.
In the console, type
exportcurrentconfigs
It'll dump out the configs to your appdata/roaming/7DaystoDie area. Exact path will be show in the console so you can copy and paste to it.
I've found this to be a huge help in debugging if my xpath did what I thought it would do
That does help me find some other problems, but my effect_group seems to be appended correctly. I don't really understand the mechanism right now, so I'm posting the whole block as follows, mine appended at the end:
<item_modifier name="modGunSoundSuppressorSilencer" installable_tags="gun" modifier_tags="barrelAttachment" blocked_tags="noMods,noSilencer" type="attachment">
<property name="UnlockedBy" value="modGunSoundSuppressorSilencerSchematic" />
<property name="Stacknumber" value="1" /> <property name="Group" value="Mods" />
<property name="DropMeshfile" value="#Other/Items?Misc/sack_droppedPrefab.prefab" />
<!--Decreases sound footprint by x% -->
<item_property_overrides name="*">
<property name="Sound_start" value="pistol_s_fire" />
<property name="Sound_end" value="" />
<property name="Sound_loop" value="pistol_s_fire" />
</item_property_overrides>
<item_property_overrides name="gunHandgunT1Pistol">
<property name="Sound_start" value="pistol_s_fire" />
<property name="BarrelOffset" value="0,-.006,.127" />
<property name="BarrelScale" value="1,1,1" />
</item_property_overrides>
<item_property_overrides name="gunHandgunT3SMG5">
<property name="Sound_start" value="mp5_s_fire" />
<property name="Sound_end" value="silencefiller" />
<property name="Sound_loop" value="mp5_s_fire" />
<property name="BarrelOffset" value="0,0,0" />
<property name="BarrelScale" value="1,1,1" />
</item_property_overrides>
<item_property_overrides name="gunHandgunT3DesertVulture">
<property name="Sound_start" value="pump_shotgun_s_fire" />
<property name="Sound_loop" value="pump_shotgun_s_fire" />
<property name="BarrelOffset" value="0,0,0" />
<property name="BarrelScale" value="1,1,1" />
</item_property_overrides>
<!--<item_property_overrides name="gunHandgunT2Magnum44">
<property name="BarrelOffset" value="0,.0418,-.0207"/>
<property name="BarrelScale" value=".8,.8,1.5"/>
</item_property_overrides>
USING SNIPER RIFLE SILENCER INSTEAD OF THE MP5 ONE
<item_property_overrides name="gunHandgunT2Magnum44">
<property name="BarrelOffset" value="0,.0477,-.1593"/>
<property name="BarrelScale" value="1,1,1"/>
<property name="BarrelCameraOffset" value="0,0,0"/>
</item_property_overrides>-->
<item_property_overrides name="gunShotgunT1DoubleBarrel">
<property name="Sound_start" value="pump_shotgun_s_fire" />
</item_property_overrides>
<item_property_overrides name="gunShotgunT2PumpShotgun">
<property name="Sound_start" value="pump_shotgun_s_fire" />
<property name="BarrelOffset" value="0,-.0322,.4516" />
<property name="BarrelScale" value="1.1,1.1,1.5" />
</item_property_overrides>
<item_property_overrides name="gunShotgunT3AutoShotgun">
<property name="Sound_start" value="pump_shotgun_s_fire" />
<property name="Sound_loop" value="pump_shotgun_s_fire" />
<property name="BarrelOffset" value="0,-.0322,.4516" />
<property name="BarrelScale" value="1.1,1.1,1.5" />
</item_property_overrides>
<item_property_overrides name="gunRifleT1HuntingRifle">
<property name="Sound_start" value="hunting_rifle_s_fire" />
<property name="BarrelOffset" value="0,-.009,.551" />
<property name="BarrelScale" value="1,1,1" />
</item_property_overrides>
<item_property_overrides name="gunRifleT2MarksmanRifle">
<property name="Sound_start" value="sniperrifle_s_fire" />
<property name="Sound_loop" value="sniperrifle_s_fire" />
<property name="BarrelOffset" value="0,-.02,.2182" />
<property name="BarrelScale" value=".88,.88,.88" />
</item_property_overrides>
<item_property_overrides name="gunRifleT3SniperRifle">
<property name="Sound_start" value="sniperrifle_s_fire" />
<property name="Sound_loop" value="sniperrifle_s_fire" />
<property name="BarrelOffset" value="0,-.02,.2182" />
<property name="BarrelScale" value=".88,.88,.88" />
</item_property_overrides>
<item_property_overrides name="gunMGT1AK47">
<property name="Sound_start" value="ak47_s_fire" />
<property name="Sound_end" value="silencefiller" />
<property name="Sound_loop" value="ak47_s_fire" />
<property name="BarrelOffset" value="-.001,-.0197,.3197" />
<property name="BarrelScale" value="1,1,1" />
</item_property_overrides>
<item_property_overrides name="gunMGT2TacticalAR">
<property name="Sound_start" value="ak47_s_fire" />
<property name="Sound_end" value="silencefiller" />
<property name="Sound_loop" value="ak47_s_fire" />
<property name="BarrelOffset" value="0,.005,.275" />
<property name="BarrelScale" value="1,1,1" />
</item_property_overrides>
<item_property_overrides name="gunMGT3M60">
<property name="Sound_start" value="m60_s_fire" />
<property name="Sound_end" value="silencefiller" />
<property name="Sound_loop" value="m60_s_fire" />
<property name="BarrelOffset" value="0,-.005,.31" />
</item_property_overrides>
<!-- visible attachment: silencer -->
<effect_group tiered="false" name="external attachment prefab (old way)">
<requirement name="!HoldingItemHasTags" tags="dBarrel" />
<requirement name="!HoldingItemHasTags" tags="attachmentsIncluded" />
<triggered_effect trigger="onSelfHoldingItemCreated" action="AttachPrefabToHeldItem" prefab="#Other/Items?Mods/Barrels/SilencerPrefab.prefab" parent_transform="Attachments/Barrel" />
</effect_group>
<effect_group tiered="false" name="internal attachment prefab (A19)">
<requirement name="HoldingItemHasTags" tags="attachmentsIncluded" />
<triggered_effect trigger="onSelfHoldingItemCreated" action="SetTransformActive" active="true" parent_transform="#HeldItemRoot" transform_path="silencer" />
</effect_group>
<effect_group tiered="false" name="mod effects">
<passive_effect name="EntityDamage" operation="perc_add" value="-.15">
<requirement name="ProgressionLevel" progression_name="perkUrbanCombatComplete" operation="LT" value="1" />
</passive_effect>
<passive_effect name="DamageFalloffRange" operation="perc_add" value="-.2" />
<passive_effect name="MaxRange" operation="perc_add" value="-.25" />
<!--<passive_effect name="MaxRange" operation="perc_add" value="-.25">
<requirement name="RandomRoll" seed_type="Item" min_max="1,100" operation="LTE" value="80"/>
</passive_effect>-->
</effect_group>
<property name="PickupJournalEntry" value="augmentGunsTip" />
<item_property_overrides name="Savery"><!--Element appended by: "Snufkin Weapons Xpansion"-->
<property name="Sound_start" value="hunting_rifle_s_fire" />
<property name="BarrelOffset" value="0,-0.009,0.551" />
<property name="BarrelScale" value="1,1,1" />
</item_property_overrides>
<item_property_overrides name="PP-19 Bizon"><!--Element appended by: "Snufkin Weapons Xpansion"-->
<property name="Sound_start" value="mp5_s_fire" />
<property name="Sound_end" value="silencefiller" />
<property name="Sound_loop" value="mp5_s_fire" />
<property name="BarrelOffset" value="0,0,-.2" />
<property name="BarrelScale" value="1,1,1" />
</item_property_overrides>
<effect_group tiered="false"><!--Element appended by: "Snufkin Weapons Xpansion"-->
<triggered_effect trigger="onSelfHoldingItemCreated" action="AttachPrefabToHeldItem" prefab="#Other/Items?Mods/Barrels/sniperrifle_silencer.fbx" local_offset="0,.02,0" parent_transform="Attachments/Barrel">
<requirement name="HoldingItemHasTags" tags="bizon" />
</triggered_effect>
</effect_group>
<effect_group tiered="false" name="stealth"><!--Element appended by: "Custom Perkbook"-->
<requirement name="ProgressionLevel" progression_name="perk5StealthStab" operation="Equals" value="1" />
<requirement name="CVarCompare" cvar="_crouching" operation="Equals" value="1" />
<requirement name="CVarCompare" cvar="_notAlerted" operation="GT" value="0" target="other" />
<passive_effect name="DamageBonus" operation="base_add" level="1" value="1" /> <!--For UI-->
<passive_effect name="EntityDamage" operation="perc_add" level="1" value="1" />
</effect_group>
</item_modifier>
When I'm looking for variables there's a pretty good list in buffs.xml near the bottom. Otherwise, yeah, just search through the xml for an item you know does something similar. Also look in xml.txt, though. There is a ton of good info in there, although some is outdated.
Now that's good stuff!
Thanks a lot!