What are Minecraft Plugins?
Last modified on Apr 13, 2022 in Control Panel
Overview
Minecraft is one of my favorite games, if you guys couldn’t tell. But with my favorite game there are a lot of drawbacks. Mojang and Microsoft fail to implement critical features that most gamers would consider basic. This can be anything from anti-cheat to a queue system for larger servers. With this need for more features in the multiplayer space comes a demand that cannot be quenched by the Swedesh development team. Introducing Plugins.
What are Minecraft Plugins?
Plugins are to Minecraft, as extensions are to browsers. Third party developers use these to write additional code and plug it in the server. As these do not modify the game itself, such as in the case of mods, they are more limited with what they can do. However, this also means that they only need to be installed on the server’s side. No modifications are necessary in your own game files to get them working.
You can read how to install Plugins on your Apex Server here.
So, how do I use Plugins?
Commands
Every plugin is different, but they all function similarly. Most plugins use a mechanic called “commands.” Commands can be typed into the server console or the game chat. To find the commands list of the Plugin that you’re using, check its curseforge page. For the sake of this blog, I’ll be using Essentials as it is one of the most popular plugins.
If you’re not using the in-game chat rather than the server console to input commands, follow every command with a “/” behind. Also, note that most commands that have a heavy impact on gameplay likely require OP permissions.
If you’re having trouble finding out what commands are possible with your plugins, try the ‘help’ command by typing help in the console or /help in the in-game chat. Typically, a list of all possible commands will be brought up. Sometimes, depending on the plugin, you might have to write out the name of the plugin after help. That would be done like this: “help (name of plugin)”
If there are any unique functions or commands that are specific to the plugin, it should be mentioned in the help section along with how it impacts the server.
Permissions
Depending on the plugin, permissions can be used as a way to grant certain commands to predefined roles that you can customize to the smallest detail. From default, Minecraft only has normal player permissions and OP permissions. Roles allow you to grant specific permissions on specified commands to certain players. For example, say you want your moderators to have the ability to mute or kick players, but you don’t want them to have the power to permanently ban people or go in Creative mode. This can only be achieved with roles.
The stereotypical roles usually consist of Helper, Moderator, Administrator, Owner, all with escalating permissions that can either be based on presets defined by the plugin of your choice, or customized by yourself. Each plugin requires different commands and methods of making custom roles, but most don’t require any configuration files.
Configuration Files
Depending on the plugin, making adjustments may require you to open the configuration files on your server panel manually. Don’t worry! It’s not that hard. Here at Apex, the Multicraft Panel is easy as pie to navigate! (no shameless plug) Each plugin is different, but gaining access to the configuration file for each plugin is the same. If instructions on how to change variables and settings are not included within the configuration file, check the plugin’s home page.
- Turn off your server
- On the left hand side of your panel, click on ‘Config Files
- Access the desired plugin by selecting the ‘config.yml’ file corresponding to the plugin.
- Make the changes and restart the server.
- Profit!!!
Conclusion
Plugins are a great way to spice up your server, and for most servers they’re a necessity. In that same sense though, they can be fairly complex depending on how much reliance you place on them, and there can always be issues. I hope that this guide helped you, and have a great day!
