Turn PVP On or Off (and Keep It Fair)
Project ZomboidGuideThree dashboard settings decide how players treat each other: PVP (can players hurt players at all), PVP Safety System (each player gets a personal on/off switch for fighting), and Players Visible on Map (whether players see each other's positions). Changing them is safe for your world and character
The three settings
Open your server's settings and find the PVP group.
Choose your combination:
Goal | PVP | PVP Safety System |
|---|---|---|
Pure co-op, nobody can ever hurt a player | Off | (does not matter) |
Duels by consent, safe by default | On | On |
Open war, everyone is always a target | On | Off |
Decide Players Visible on Map. On means players can see each other's positions on the map; off means finding each other is part of the game. Manhunt-style servers turn it off.
Save, then restart the server.
How the safety system feels in game
With PVP on and PVP Safety System on, every player carries a personal safety toggle. Safety on means they cannot attack other players or be attacked by them; a fight needs both sides to have switched safety off, shown by the skull icon by their name. It is consent-based PVP, and it is the setup most mixed groups want.
With the safety system off (and PVP on), there is no personal switch: anyone can hurt anyone, any time, including your best friend with a shotgun and bad aim.
Things that will NOT fix it
Turning off Players Visible on Map to stop damage. That setting only hides positions. Damage is controlled by PVP and the safety system.
Asking players to just be careful. Melee swings and stray bullets do not care. If the group wants zero risk, set PVP to off; that is what it is for.
Restarting without saving. Settings apply on restart, but only after you hit Save.
The map toggles themselves (minimap, world map) are separate settings: see "Project Zomboid: Turn the Minimap and World Map On or Off".
Every sandbox setting from the dashboard: see "Project Zomboid: Change Any Sandbox Setting".
