ID Conflict Resolution

Intermediate40-60 minutesWindowsUnturned

ID conflicts occur when two or more items in a modded Unturned™ installation share the same numeric ID value. The engine uses the ID field (a uint16 value from 0 to 65535) as a category-specific identifier for items, vehicles, animals, and other asset types. Unlike GUIDs, which are designed to be globally unique, IDs are a limited resource that must be managed carefully to avoid conflicts. When two items share the same ID within the same category, the engine silently overwrites one item with the other, leading to items that are invisible, have incorrect behavior, or fail to appear in spawn tables entirely.

57 Studios™ has documented and validated the complete ID conflict resolution surface. This reference covers the silent overwrite behavior that occurs during ID conflicts, the relationship between IDs and GUIDs as separate identifier systems, the protective namespacing conventions that the modding community uses to avoid conflicts, detection methods for finding ID conflicts in a modded installation, and resolution strategies for fixing conflicts when they are discovered.

Documentation source: This article references the official Smartly Dressed Games modding documentation for the Asset Definitions chapter (ID field documentation), combined with empirical analysis of item ID usage across official and modded content. Community-validated conflict resolution patterns from the 57 Studios cohort are marked where the official documentation is silent on a detail.

Who this article is for

This reference is written for Unturned™ mod authors and server operators who are troubleshooting items that do not appear correctly in-game, particularly when multiple mods are installed on the same server.

What you will learn

• How ID conflicts cause silent overwrite behavior
• The difference between ID conflicts and GUID conflicts
• How the engine handles conflicting IDs within each asset category
• How to detect ID conflicts in a modded installation
• How to resolve ID conflicts by reassigning IDs
• How to avoid ID conflicts through protective namespacing
• The relationship between the ID system and GUID system

How ID conflicts work

The engine maintains a lookup table for each asset category (items, vehicles, animals, objects, effects, etc.) that maps numeric IDs to asset instances. When an asset is loaded, the engine checks the category-specific lookup table for the asset's ID. If the ID is not already in use, the asset is registered. If the ID is already in use, the engine silently overwrites the earlier entry with the later one.

As shown above, the silent overwrite is the core problem. There is no warning, no error log, and no notification to the player or server operator that a conflict occurred. The only symptom is that one of the two items does not behave as expected.

ID vs GUID

The ID system and the GUID system serve different purposes in the Unturned™ asset architecture.

Aspect	ID	GUID
Type	uint16 (0-65535)	uint128 (32 hex chars)
Scope	Category-specific (items share an ID space)	Global (unique across all assets)
Uniqueness requirement	Must be unique within each category	Must be unique across all loaded assets
Collision behavior	Silent overwrite (last loaded wins)	Error logged; one asset skipped
Modifiable after publication	Never change	Never change
Used for	Spawn table references, save game references	Cross-file asset references, GUID-based spawns
Range limit	65535 values per category	2^128 possible values

The key distinction is that ID conflicts are silent while GUID conflicts are logged. This makes ID conflicts harder to detect and more insidious.

How the engine handles ID conflicts by asset category

Different asset categories have different ID pools. An ID conflict only matters within the same category.

Category	ID range used by official content	Recommended mod range	Notes
Items	1-2000	50000-65535	Largest category; most conflicts occur here
Vehicles	1-500	50000-65535	Smaller pool; conflicts are rarer
Animals	1-100	50000-65535	Very small pool
Objects	GUID-only (no ID needed)	N/A	Objects upgraded to GUID-only
Effects	1-1000	50000-65535	Used for visual and audio effects
Spawn tables	1-1000	5000-65535	Separate ID pool from items

The Bypass_ID_Limit flag must be set on an item .dat file to use IDs in the 1-2000 range that is reserved for official content.

Detecting ID conflicts

ID conflicts do not produce any log entries. They must be detected through indirect methods.

Method 1: Manual inventory scan

Load all mods on a server. Spawn every item from every mod using @give. If some items cannot be spawned or spawn a different item than expected, an ID conflict may be present.

Method 2: Automated ID scan

Use a script to extract the ID field from every .dat file in the mod folder and check for duplicates within each category.

GUID a1b2c3d4e5f64a7b8c9d0e1f2a3b4c5d
Type Item
ID 5000

A PowerShell script can extract all IDs and report duplicates across the mod folder.

Method 3: Spawn table observation

If an item is configured in a spawn table but never appears in-game, it may have been overwritten by another item with the same ID. Check the spawn table's GUID reference (not its ID reference) to confirm that the correct item is being targeted.

Resolving ID conflicts

When an ID conflict is detected, the resolution depends on which asset should keep its ID and which should receive a new one.

Resolution workflow

1. Identify both conflicting assets. Open their .dat files and note their names, IDs, and categories.
2. Determine which asset was loaded first and which was loaded second (the silent overwrite affects the first).
3. Choose which asset should keep its ID. The asset that was loaded first (the one that was overwritten) should typically keep its ID if it was in use before the other mod was added.
4. Assign a new ID to the asset that should change. Choose an ID that is not used by any other asset in the same category.
5. If the asset uses Bypass_ID_Limit, ensure the flag is present on the updated file.
6. Verify the fix by loading both mods and spawning both items.

Example resolution

Two item mods both use ID 5000. Mod A's "Survival Rifle" was loaded first. Mod B's "Hunting Rifle" was loaded second and overwrote the Survival Rifle.

Step	Action
1	Open Mod A's Survival Rifle .dat (ID 5000) and Mod B's Hunting Rifle .dat (ID 5000)
2	Survival Rifle was loaded first and was overwritten
3	Keep Survival Rifle at ID 5000 (it was deployed first)
4	Change Hunting Rifle's ID to 5010 (not used by any other item)
5	Verify Bypass_ID_Limit True is set on the Hunting Rifle .dat
6	Restart the server; both items now function correctly

Protective namespacing

The standard approach to avoiding ID conflicts is to assign each mod a reserved ID range within the 50000-65535 mod space.

ID range allocation

Mod size	Recommended range	Example
Single item	One ID	50000
Small mod (2-10 items)	10 IDs	50000-50009
Medium mod (11-50 items)	50 IDs	50000-50049
Large mod (51-100 items)	100 IDs	50000-50099
Content pack (100+ items)	500 IDs	50000-50499

The 57 Studios cohort recommendation is to register the mod's starting ID with a community ID registry (if one exists for the modding community) or to document the mod's ID range in the Workshop description so that other mod authors can avoid conflicts.

ID allocation within a mod

Within a mod, items should use sequential IDs from the reserved range.

SurvivalRifle.dat: ID 50000
SurvivalPistol.dat: ID 50001
SurvivalKnife.dat: ID 50002
SurvivalMagazine.dat: ID 50003

Leaving gaps between IDs allows for future additions without renumbering.

The Bypass_ID_Limit flag

The Bypass_ID_Limit flag allows an item to use an ID in the range reserved for official content (1-2000). Without this flag, items with IDs in that range are rejected by the engine.

The 57 Studios cohort recommendation is to always use the 50000+ range for mod content and to reserve the Bypass_ID_Limit flag for special cases where a mod must intentionally override a specific official item's ID. Using Bypass_ID_Limit increases the risk of conflicts with official content.

IDs in NPC equipment

NPCs that carry equipment (such as military NPCs with weapons) use numeric IDs to reference items in their loadout configuration. If an NPC's loadout references an item ID that is later reassigned to a different item, the NPC may appear with the wrong equipment. The 57 Studios cohort recommendation is to use GUID-based references for NPC equipment wherever possible and to reserve ID-based references for backward compatibility with existing configurations.

FAQ

Can two items with different categories share the same ID?

Yes. The ID space is category-specific. An item with ID 5000 and a vehicle with ID 5000 do not conflict because they belong to different type categories. The engine maintains separate lookup tables per category.

What is the maximum ID value?

The ID field is a uint16, meaning the maximum value is 65535. IDs in the 50000-65535 range are recommended for mod content.

What happens if I do not set Bypass_ID_Limit on a mod item?

Items with IDs in the 1-2000 range are rejected by the engine if Bypass_ID_Limit is not set. The item does not load, and no error is logged. This is a common cause of "item not found" bugs in mods that use low IDs.

Does the engine warn about ID conflicts?

No. ID conflicts are silent. The engine overwrites the earlier entry without logging any warning or error. This is the most dangerous aspect of ID conflicts: they can exist for months without being detected.

How do IDs relate to GUIDs in spawn tables?

Spawn tables can reference items by ID (using LegacyAssetId or Table_N_Asset_ID) or by GUID (using Guid). GUID-based references are immune to ID conflicts because they use the globally unique identifier rather than the category-specific ID. The 57 Studios cohort recommendation is to use GUID-based references in all spawn tables to eliminate ID conflict risk at the spawn table level.

Can I reuse an ID from a removed item?

Yes, but only if the removed item is no longer present in any loaded mod or save file. Reusing an ID that was previously used by an item that still exists in some save files will cause those save files to reference the wrong item when loaded. The 57 Studios cohort recommendation is to never reuse IDs from removed items.

Worked examples of ID conflict resolution

Example 1: Two item mods conflict on ID 5000

Mod A (SurvivalRifle) uses ID 5000. Mod B (HuntingRifle) also uses ID 5000. Both are loaded on the same server. The server loads Mod A first, then Mod B. Mod A's SurvivalRifle is silently overwritten by Mod B's HuntingRifle.

Detection: A player reports that the SurvivalRifle cannot be spawned with @give 5000. The command spawns the HuntingRifle instead.

Resolution: Change Mod B's ID from 5000 to 5005. Verify that 5005 is not used by any other item in the category. Update the HuntingRifle's .dat file. Restart the server. Both items now function correctly.

Example 2: Spawn table references the wrong item after ID reassignment

A spawn table uses LegacyAssetId 5000 to reference the SurvivalRifle. After Mod B moved from ID 5000 to 5005, the spawn table still references ID 5000, which now points to whatever item has that ID (if any).

Detection: The SurvivalRifle no longer appears in loot spawns.

Resolution: Update the spawn table to use GUID-based references instead of ID-based references. Replace LegacyAssetId 5000 with Guid <SurvivalRifle_GUID>. This eliminates the dependency on the numeric ID.

Example 3: Vehicle and item share ID 5000 without conflict

A vehicle mod and an item mod both use ID 5000. Because they belong to different categories (vehicles vs. items), there is no conflict. Both assets load and function correctly.

Verification: Spawn the vehicle with @give 5000 and the item with @give 5000. Both appear and function correctly because the engine maintains separate ID lookup tables per category.

ID allocation strategy for multi-mod servers

Server operators who run multiple mods face the highest risk of ID conflicts because each mod independently selects its IDs. The following strategy minimizes conflict risk.

1. Create an ID registry document that lists every mod on the server and its reserved ID range.
2. Assign each mod a non-overlapping ID range within the 50000-65535 space.
3. Verify that no two mods have overlapping ranges before adding a new mod.
4. Document the registry in the server's administration notes.
5. Re-check the registry when any mod is updated (updates may add new items with new IDs).

Example ID registry

Mod name	Reserved ID range	Notes
Survival Weapons Pack	50000-50099	100 item IDs reserved
Vehicle Pack	50100-50149	50 vehicle IDs reserved
Food Expansion	50150-50199	50 item IDs reserved
Military Gear	50200-50249	50 item IDs reserved

Best practices

• Always use IDs in the 50000-65535 range for mod content
• Reserve a contiguous ID range for each mod project
• Document the mod's ID range in the Workshop description
• Use GUID-based references in spawn tables instead of ID-based references
• Never reuse IDs from removed items
• Set Bypass_ID_Limit True on any mod item that uses an ID below 2000
• Check for ID conflicts when adding a new mod to an existing modded server
• Perform an automated ID scan after adding multiple mods

Appendix A: ID range conflict detection script

The following PowerShell script scans a folder of .dat files and reports duplicate IDs within each asset category.

$folder = "."
$items = @{}
Get-ChildItem $folder -Recurse -Include "*.dat" | ForEach-Object {
    $content = Get-Content $_.FullName -Encoding UTF8
    $id = ($content | Select-String "^ID (\d+)$").Matches.Groups[1].Value
    $type = ($content | Select-String "^Type (\w+)$").Matches.Groups[1].Value
    if ($id -and $type) {
        $key = "$type`:$id"
        if ($items.ContainsKey($key)) {
            Write-Output "CONFLICT: $key in $($_.Name) and $($items[$key])"
        } else {
            $items[$key] = $_.Name
        }
    }
}

Appendix B: ID conflict diagnostic log patterns

Since ID conflicts produce no log entries, the following indirect log patterns can indicate an ID conflict.

Log pattern	What it suggests	Next step
No error but item cannot be spawned	Another item may have overwritten this item's ID	Check for duplicate IDs in the 50000+ range
Two items share the same name in the @give list	One item may have been overwritten	Spawn both and compare behavior
Item appears in the file system but not in-game	The item's ID may be overwritten	Check Bypass_ID_Limit and ID uniqueness
Spawn table references item but item never spawns	The spawn table may reference a conflicting ID	Convert spawn table to GUID-based references

Appendix C: ID range documentation template

The following template can be used to document a mod project's ID usage for reference by other mod authors and server operators.

Mod Name: [Name]
Mod ID Range: [Start]-[End]
Item IDs: [Range for items]
Vehicle IDs: [Range for vehicles]
Animal IDs: [Range for animals]
Spawn Table IDs: [Range for spawn tables]
Last Updated: [Date]
Notes: [Any special notes about ID usage]

Appendix D: Reserved ID ranges reference

The following table documents the ID ranges used by official Unturned content and the recommended ranges for mod content.

Category	Official range	Mod recommended range
Items	1-2000	50000-65535
Vehicles	1-500	50000-65535
Animals	1-100	50000-65535
Spawn tables	1-1000	5000-65535
Effects	1-1000	50000-65535
NPCs	1-500 (legacy clothing IDs)	50000-65535

Appendix E: Complete ID field reference for all asset categories

The following table documents the ID field usage across all asset categories in Unturned.

Asset category	ID field used?	ID range (official)	ID range (mod)	Notes
Items	Yes	1-2000	50000-65535	Most common conflict category
Vehicles	Yes	1-500	50000-65535	Smaller pool, less conflict
Animals	Yes	1-100	50000-65535	Very small pool
Spawn tables	Yes	1-1000	5000-65535	Separate from item IDs
Effects	Yes	1-1000	50000-65535	Visual and audio effects
Objects	No	N/A	N/A	GUID-only since upgrade
NPCs	Yes (clothing IDs)	1-500	50000-65535	Legacy clothing references
Resources	Yes	1-500	50000-65535	Resource node definitions
Level Assets	Yes	1-100	50000-65535	Map-level configurations

Appendix F: Quick-reference ID conflict resolution card

Step	Action	Command / tool
1	Detect conflicting IDs	PowerShell script or manual scan
2	Identify source of conflict	Open both conflicting .dat files
3	Decide which ID to keep	Earlier deployed mod keeps its ID
4	Assign new ID to changed asset	Choose unused ID in 50000+ range
5	Update .dat file	Edit ID field in text editor
6	Verify Bypass_ID_Limit	Ensure flag is set if ID is below 2000
7	Update spawn tables	Convert to GUID references
8	Test in-game	Spawn both items with @give

Appendix G: Complete ID usage tracking table

Maintain the following table for each mod project to track ID usage and prevent internal conflicts.

Asset name	Category	ID	GUID	Status
SurvivalRifle	Item	50000	a1b2...	Active
SurvivalPistol	Item	50001	c3d4...	Active
SurvivalKnife	Item	50002	e5f6...	Active
SurvivalRifleMagazine	Item	50003	g7h8...	Active
MilitarySUV	Vehicle	50000	i9j0...	Active
MilitaryJeep	Vehicle	50001	k1l2...	Active
ItemSpawnTable	Spawn	5000	m3n4...	Active
VehicleSpawnTable	Spawn	5001	o5p6...	Active

Appendix H: 57 Studios mod ID allocation registry

The following table shows the ID ranges allocated to 57 Studios mod projects. This registry prevents internal ID conflicts across the studio's mod portfolio.

Mod project	Category	Start ID	End ID	Total slots	Status
SHQ Weapons Pack	Items	50000	50049	50	Active
Horizon Life RP Core	Items	50050	50099	50	Active
Horizon Life RP Vehicles	Vehicles	50000	50024	25	Active
Survival Knife Pack	Items	50100	50109	10	Active
AK Series Weapon Pack	Items	50110	50129	20	Active
AR Series Weapon Pack	Items	50130	50149	20	Active
Pistol Collection	Items	50150	50169	20	Active
SMG Collection	Items	50170	50189	20	Active
Shotgun Collection	Items	50190	50209	20	Active
Sniper Collection	Items	50210	50229	20	Active
Melee Collection	Items	50230	50249	20	Active
Explosives Pack	Items	50250	50259	10	Active
Medical Items Pack	Items	50260	50269	10	Active
Food Items Pack	Items	50270	50279	10	Active
Tool Items Pack	Items	50280	50289	10	Active
Backpack Collection	Items	50290	50299	10	Active
Magazine Collection	Items	50300	50349	50	Active
Attachment Collection	Items	50350	50379	30	Active
Spawn Table Core	Spawns	5000	5049	50	Active
Spawn Table Expansion	Spawns	5050	5099	50	Active
Vehicle Spawn Tables	Spawns	5100	5119	20	Active

Appendix I: ID conflict prevention policy template

Mod teams and server operators should adopt an ID conflict prevention policy. The following template covers the essential elements.

ID Conflict Prevention Policy
Version 1.0

1. All mod items must use IDs in the 50000-65535 range.
2. Each mod project must reserve a contiguous ID range.
3. The reserved range must be documented in the mod's Workshop description.
4. IDs from removed items must never be reused.
5. Spawn tables must use GUID references instead of ID references.
6. Before adding a new mod to a server, the server operator must check for ID conflicts.
7. ID conflicts must be resolved within 7 days of discovery.
8. The ID registry document must be updated whenever a mod's ID range changes.

Appendix J: Complete ID field value range reference

Field type	C# type	Min value	Max value	Valid range	Used by
Item ID	uint16	1	65535	1-2000 (official), 50000-65535 (mod)	Item .dat files
Vehicle ID	uint16	1	65535	1-500 (official), 50000-65535 (mod)	Vehicle .dat files
Animal ID	uint16	1	65535	1-100 (official), 50000-65535 (mod)	Animal .dat files
Spawn table ID	uint16	1	65535	1-1000 (official), 5000-65535 (mod)	Spawn table .dat files
Effect ID	uint16	1	65535	1-1000 (official), 50000-65535 (mod)	Effect .dat files
NPC clothing ID	uint16	1	65535	1-500 (official), 50000-65535 (mod)	NPC equipment .dat files

Appendix K: ID conflict scenario reference table

Scenario	Conflict type	Detection method	Resolution
Two item mods use same ID	Item-item	Manual @give test	Change one mod's ID
Item ID conflicts with deprecated mod	Item-deprecated	Spawn table observation	Remove deprecated mod or change ID
Vehicle ID conflicts with item	Vehicle-item	None (different categories)	No action needed
Spawn table ID conflicts with item	Spawn-item	None (different categories)	No action needed
NPC clothing ID conflicts	NPC-Item	NPC appears with wrong equipment	Change NPC clothing ID
Same mod, two versions	Internal	Version mismatch error	Update to latest version

Appendix L: ID conflict resolution tools reference

Tool	Purpose	Command
PowerShell ID scanner	Scan all .dat files for duplicate IDs	Custom script (see Appendix A)
Manual grep	Search for ID field values	Select-String -Path *.dat -Pattern "^ID \d+$"
Text editor search	Find all ID fields in open files	Use Find in Files with regex
Spawn table audit	Check spawn tables use GUIDs	Manual review of spawn table files

Appendix M: Mod ID registry template for server operators

Server operators can use the following template to track ID usage across all mods on their server.

Mod name	Workshop ID	Category	Start ID	End ID	Contact
Survival Weapons	123456789	Items	50000	50099	author@example.com
Vehicle Expansion	234567890	Vehicles	50000	50049	author@example.com
Food Expansion	345678901	Items	50100	50149	author@example.com
Military Gear	456789012	Items	50150	50199	author@example.com
Backpack Collection	567890123	Items	50200	50209	author@example.com
Magazine Pack	678901234	Items	50210	50259	author@example.com
Attachment Pack	789012345	Items	50260	50289	author@example.com
Melee Weapons	890123456	Items	50290	50309	author@example.com
Explosives Pack	901234567	Items	50310	50319	author@example.com
Medical Items	123456780	Items	50320	50329	author@example.com
Animal Reskin	234567891	Animals	50000	50009	author@example.com
Vehicle Skins	345678902	Vehicles	50050	50059	author@example.com

Appendix N: ID conflict resolution FAQ for server operators

What should I do if a mod author does not respond to conflict reports?

If the mod author does not respond within a reasonable timeframe, change the conflicting ID in the local server files. Document the change in the server configuration notes. The next update from the mod author will overwrite the local change, so the server operator must re-apply the change after each update.

Can I automate ID conflict detection?

Yes. The PowerShell script in Appendix A can be run as a scheduled task on the server to check for ID conflicts after each mod update. The script outputs a report that the server operator can review.

How do I handle ID conflicts with deprecated mods?

Deprecated mods that are no longer supported by their authors should be replaced with alternatives or removed from the server. If the deprecated mod's ID range is the only conflict, the remaining mod can be reassigned to a different ID.

Appendix O: External references

• Smartly Dressed Games official modding documentation - the authoritative reference for asset definitions and the ID field.
• Data File Troubleshooting - the previous article; covers .dat file syntax errors that can cause ID field parsing failures.
• Finding and Reading Game Logs - the next article; covers log file analysis for related issues.
• Project Folder Structure and GUIDs - covers GUID generation and management, which complements ID management.

Authoring checklist

Before publishing a mod, confirm the following ID-related items:

• [ ] All item IDs are in the 50000-65535 range
• [ ] IDs are contiguous within the mod's reserved range
• [ ] Bypass_ID_Limit True is set on any item with ID below 2000
• [ ] No two assets in the mod share the same ID within the same category
• [ ] The mod's ID range is documented in the Workshop description
• [ ] Spawn tables use GUID references instead of ID references
• [ ] No IDs from removed items are reused

Document history

Version	Date	Author	Notes
1.0	2026-07-26	57 Studios	Initial publication. Complete ID conflict resolution reference with detection methods, resolution workflow, protective namespacing, and FAQ.

Cross-references

• Data File Troubleshooting - the previous article in the troubleshooting section.
• Finding and Reading Game Logs - the next article; covers log file analysis for asset loading issues.
• GUID Conflicts Between Mods - the dedicated article for GUID conflicts, which have different symptoms and resolution.
• Project Folder Structure and GUIDs - covers GUID generation and management.
• Smartly Dressed Games modding documentation - official reference.
• Unturned on Steam - game page and community hub.