Drop Experience
F5 Airdrop combines helicopter delivery, flares, map markers, synchronized countdowns and animated container opening. Each drop can have its own location, loot, lock duration and visual settings.
Delivery sequence
- A drop is launched from the administrator panel, the automatic rotation or a calendar entry.
- The configured announcement, flare and map marker identify the destination.
- After the dispatch countdown, the helicopter delivers the container. When no player is near the destination, the container can be placed there directly.
- The lock countdown starts after landing or direct placement.
- Once unlocked, a player approaches the front doors and opens the container through the configured target system.
- Players access the shared loot until the drop expires or an administrator removes it.
The configured minimum-player requirement applies to drop creation. CreateAirdropsWithoutPlayers allows creation below that minimum. See Configuration.
Understand the clocks
| Setting | Unit | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
Airdrop.arrivalDelay | Seconds | Wait before dispatch or direct placement. It is not the helicopter's flight duration. |
Airdrop.noPlayersDelay | Seconds | Delay used for direct placement without nearby players when the dispatch delay is zero. |
Airdrop.lifetime | Seconds | Time available after the dispatch or direct-placement delay, including flight and the lock period. |
lockTime | Seconds | Time the container remains locked after landing or direct placement. Set to 0 to disable the lock. |
TimeBetweenAirdrops | Minutes | Automatic-drop interval, counted after the previous automatic drop lands or disappears. |
Allow enough lifetime for delivery, the lock and looting. For example, a lifetime of 300 seconds and a lock of 120 seconds leaves less than three minutes for looting once flight time is included.
The announcement countdown indicates when dispatch or direct placement is due. It is not an estimated landing time. The container's separate countdown shows the remaining lock duration.
Container opening and loot
Supported container models play an opening scene on the first successful opening. Later interactions access the same shared stash. The contents are shared between players, and reopening does not generate new loot.
Loot quantities and chances come from the drop's item list. Decorative boxes inside the container are visual details and do not represent individual loot items. See Items and Inventory and Containers and Cargo.
Automatic drops
Automatic drops are enabled after each resource restart. The rotation selects from Config.AirdropCoords and avoids immediately repeating the same location when another entry is available. The supplied interval is 90 minutes, and the default minimum is one player.
Drops can overlap if a previous container remains available when the next delivery begins. Adjust the interval and lifetime together when planning the rotation.
/airdrop_auto_toggle enables or disables future automatic drops. It does not remove existing drops, and enabling it does not immediately launch a delivery. Use Active Drops or /airdrop_clear to remove drops already in progress.
The calendar is independent of the automatic rotation and can run while automatic drops are disabled.
Placement and server setup
Use open, level destinations with enough clearance for the helicopter and container. Test custom models and destinations before using them in a live rotation.
Drops use the shared game world; separate instances are not supported. Announcement audiences control who receives a banner and do not make a drop private or restrict access to its loot.
Expiry and restarts
When a drop expires or is removed, its container and remaining loot are cleared. Active drops do not resume after a resource or server restart.
Presets and calendar entries remain saved. See Saving and Backups for maintenance and restart behavior.