Quote:This Codex will contain tutorials on plugins and features of the server, recommendations for client side mods, resource packs, shaders, and quick lists for plugin commands.

I will be updating this page as plugins are added and removed.  Additionally if anything else is recommended, I'll add new pages.  Some information might change how its worded.  Most things are directly copied from Seperallis' original posts, but now they are in an easy to access spot.

Mestras Recommended Features Wrote:These are optional, but I recommend them especially the resource pack.

Show ContentMods:

• Forge - Required to run Forge mods.
  
• Optifine - A minecraft optimization mod, allows for higher performance and support for advanced textures.
  
• liteloader - A lightweight mod loader.  Required to run liteloader plugins.
  
• TabbyChat 2 - A liteloader plugin, tabby chat changes the chat GUI giving you the ability to create tabs for different channels.  This will make chat more like a traditional MMO.
  
• Chunkborders - A liteloader mod; this will show the boundaries of chunks, and locate chunk centers.  This is useful for the Factions mod.
  
• Spawn Detector - A liteloader mod; this mod allows you to see where mobs will spawn by displaying a transparent x on blocks.  Yellow where mobs can spawn during the night but not the day, and a red x where they can spawn at any time.  This is very useful for lighting your builds while minimizing mob spawn.
  
• WorldEditCUI - A liteloader mod; this is more for Admins and Moderators who have access to worldedit.  This mod generates a line box around areas selected by worldedit giving you an interface when copying areas.  This works well with Spawn Detector and Chunkborders.
  

Installing Forge and Liteloader

1. First, run the latest version of Minecraft that the server uses from the launcher.
   
2. Download the version of Forge that corresponds with the version of Minecraft you are running. You can either grab a .exe or the .jar file.  I typically will use .jar files.
   
3. Run the Forge installer.  This will create a new profile, likely named forge.  
   
4. Select and run the Forge profile to populate the .minecraft folder.  You can select the new profile from the MC launcher by clicking the green arrow next to the green button at the bottom of the launcher.  Select the profile that contains 'forge' in the title.
   
5. Download Optifine for the version of Minecraft you are using.  Drop the optifine.jar file into the mods folder inside your .minecraft folder.  You can access the .minecraft folder by:
   • On PC: Selecting the search option, type in Run.  Open the Run dialog box.  Type in %appdata% and hit enter.  This will open a Roaming folder with .minecraft at the top.  You should see a mods folder after you run the Forge profile.
     
   • On Mac: Go to the desktop or Finder folder.  Select the Go tab and then at the bottom the Go To Folder option.  Type in ~/Library/Appliation support/minecraft.  You will now be in the minecraft folder and should see a mods folder if you ran the Forge profile.
     
6. Launch Minecraft Forge profile (this is your new profile that you will always use).  Once at the menu, select options and then video settings.  If you see additional options, then Optifine is installed.
   
7. You are now done installing Forge and Optifine.  Below is to add Liteloader and additional QoL mods
   
8. Download Liteloader and run the .jar or .exe installer.
   
9. In the inherit from or use existing profile option (should be the top line), select the forge profile you just set up when installing forge.
   
10. Complete the install and select the new liteloader forge profile. This is done by clicking the green button as when selecting the Forge profile above.  Run this profile.  If liteloader installed correctly you should see a tab to the right side that will slide out when you hover over it.
    
11. Download any liteloader mod you want and add these to the mod folder in the .minecraft folder.  Liteloader and Forge mods will be in the same folder and should not conflict with each other.
    
12. You can verify Optifine is installed by clicking on Video settings, you should see many options now.  For Liteloader mods, click the liteloader tab on the right side of the main menu, you will see options for the mods it is currently running.
    

Liteloader has a nice diagram flow chart for installing both Forge and liteloader, you can find it here.

Show ContentOptimizing Minecraft:

Recommended for Vanilla and Modded Minecraft

• Open the Minecraft launcher.  Go to Launch Options found on the top menu. If you do not see the Launch Options click the stacked icon to open the additional options.  You will now see a list of profiles installed on your system.  Above these profiles are options, click the Advanced options and acknowledge the prompt.
  
• Click on the Profile you will be using.  For Vanilla MC, it should be the latest version or whatever version you are using.  For modded Minecraft it will either be a Forge or a Liteloader-forge profile, if you used the install procedure from the Mods section of this post.
  
• Look for the line that says JVM arguments, and click the button on the left.  It should now turn green.
  
• You will see a line of code: -Xmx1G -XX:+UnlockExperimentalVMOptions -XX:+UseG1GC -XX:G1NewSizePercent=20 -XX:G1ReservePercent=20 -XX:MaxGCPauseMillis=50 -XX:G1HeapRegionSize=32M
  
• You will edit this code to allow Minecraft to use more RAM, which will help improve system performance.  You will change the -Xmx1G to a new RAM number.  For example to go from 1 gb to 3gb change the text to -Xmx3G.
  
• If you are only running vanilla Minecraft, you are now done.  If you have a modded version see below.
  

Modded Minecraft - Optifine

• Once installed, Optifine will provide many new graphical options for you to use.  I recommend playing around with the options to see what will work best for you're system.  If you have a good computer, you can run graphics on fancy.  If your system is a bit older, run graphics on fast.
  
• The second major thing to take a look at is Render Distance.  This is greatly extended.  Change this setting while in game, to find the best range that your system can handle without lagging.
  
• Lastly, go to Video settings and then Details.  Turn Clouds Off.  This is mostly so clouds won't clip buildings that you build, and to prevent buildings above cloud layers from not displaying.
  
• If you are using the Conquest_ Resource Pack
  • To optimize Conquest and make the game look great, go to video settings and then details.  Turn Clouds off if you have not already done so.  Conquest has its own skybox with clouds that look much nicer.
    
  • Next go to Quality Settings.  Make sure Clear Water is Off.  I recommend turning Better Grass on to Fancy, but Fast will work.  This changes how grass displays and makes it look more natural.  If you have performance issues with Fancy, try using Fast setting.  If you still have issues then turn this feature off.
    
  • In Quality Settings, I recommend turning Connected Textures to Fast.  This changes how textures connect to one another and can make block placements more natural in some cases.  E.g. Grass and dirt blend more naturally.  Also placing some blocks changes their texture.  E.g. Placing two workbenches on top of eacher will make a cabinet, while placing two workbenches next to each other will make a dresser.  These items still function as workbenches, but the textures allow for furnishing of a build.
    
  • Also in Quality Settings, you can turn Better Snow on if you wish and your system can handle it.  This will add snow under transparent blocks such as fences and tall grass.  Allowing more immersion.
    
  • In Performance Settings, enable Fast math.
    
  • This is it for optimizing for the Resource Pack.  Some of the above options can be used without conquest, but they look better with the Pack.
    

Show ContentResource Pack and Shaders:

Installing Resource Packs can be done in two ways: Either by going to the .minecraft folder and dropping the resource pack into the Resource Pack folder or by clicking Options and then Resource Pack in game.  Typically you will leave the resource pack in its archived format. e.g. a Zip file.
Resource Pack

• Conquest_ - Conquest is a medieval inspired resource pack that greatly improves the visual quality of minecraft, at least in my opinion.  You will need to use Optifine for the best experience.  This pack also contains connected textures, custom 3d model support, and the ability to change the appearance of armor and weapons by renaming the item at an anvil. I recommend taking a look at the metadata section and biome specific textures. These can add depth and variety to the game and make it so some blocks appear differently in some biomes compared to others.
  Note: Unzip this resource pack into a folder called Conquest_.  This pack adds many options outside of graphics and to work optimally it needs to be in its own folder rather than an archive file.
  

Shaders
Note: Shaders require optifine to be installed and a decent to high end PC for performance.  There are some low performance shaders that can work nicely.  You can install these by going to the .minecraft folder and dropping the shader file into the Shaders folder generated by Optifine.

• Conquest of the Sun
  
• Chocapic13
  
• KUDA
  
• Wisdom
  

Server Plugins Wrote:

Show ContentDynmap Signs:

dynmap web bukkit Wrote:To use these, the first line of the sign MUST be [dynmap]. After that, any non-blank line will be included in the label of the marker, except for lines formatted as icon:<icon-id> (which allows the marker to be set to use a specific icon - if not specified, the icon "sign" is used). If the marker is successfully created, the sign's text will erase the [dynmap] & icon: lines. If the sign is later deleted, the corresponding map marker is deleted.

Example:  After placing a sign (this can be protected with LWC) the format of the sign should be as follows:

line1 = [dynmap]
line2 = icon:temple
line3 = text
line4 = text

You may see a list of icon IDs by typing /dmarker icons in chat. You can see what the icons look like by accessing the Dynmap Marker Icons list.

Show ContentEssentialsX:

A fork of the abandoned "Essentials" plugin, this plugin ads huge changes and functionality to users...and the things I've allowed for you to do aren't even a fraction of what it can do or allow! You can send/receive mail, use private messages, set home locations and teleport to them at willAs a matter of fact, the collection of commands is so massive, I don't have time to list them all here for your convenience. BUT! I will try to at least give a rundown of some of the most important stuff:
Sign commands:: you can set up signs to perform certain functions! Currently, only trading (which may not work yet, sans an economy), disposal (trash), and mail signs can be made, but more may be added in the future. You can read about how to make these special signs here.
Mail:: You can send and receive mail, for offline private communications! Use /mail in game for instructions and to use your mail.
Private chat:: You can now send private chat messages in game! Type /msg <username> (or /m, /t, /tell) to send a pm to that person; use /r (or /reply) to respond to someone you messaged, but you'll need to use /r <username> to change the target of your replies, of someone else messages you and you want to respond to them, instead.
Create & Teleport to Homes:: The most epic and useful of all, use /sethome <home_name> to set the location your standing on as a home location; use /home <home_name> to teleport to your home location (it automatically defaults to your bed). /delhome <home_name> will delete a home location.
Teleport to Spawn whenever you want:: /spawn
Go kill yourself...:: /suicide
...then go back and get your stuff:: You can go back to the last place you teleported from, or the last location where you died, with /back. Enjoy it while you can, this may disappear around/before the server goes public.
Get your bearings:: Find out where you are without cluttering debug info with /depth, /getpos, & /compass. If you've spent too much time spelunking, you can figure out what time it is with /time.
@ For a list of commands while in game, type /help essentials in chat.
@ For help on how to use some commands, and more detailed descriptions, see this link.

Show ContentChairsReloaded:

Tired of ugly-ass minecart chair exploits, or nice-looking chairs that do nothing? Well, now you have working chairs! There are no commands here, just functionality. To make a working chair:
1) Place a stair block. Any stair block, in any number in a continuous string.
2) Place a blank sign on either end of the stair block.
3) Right click the stair to sit.
That's all there is to it.

Show ContentMinepacks:

Frustrated with having to make, like, fifty trips to a storage chest while mining because your inventory got filled with 20 stacks of dirt/cobblestone and a handful of extraneous items that take up all the rest of your inventory even though they're not stacking? Me to! So I doubled your inventory size through the use of "backpacks!" What's more, you keep all the items in your backpack if you die, even if you die in lava! Convenient, innit?
Commands:

• /backpack help - Lists all the commands of this plugin.
  
• /backpack - Opens your backpack.
  
• /backpack clean - Removes all items from the players backpack.
  

Show ContentPickup Money:

A plugin that makes it so monsters and blocks can drop monies! I've set it up so that not every monster drops money when they die (and they won't do it all the time), and I changed the drop rate and put a cap on money earnings over time, to get ahead of possible inflation (but you can increase the drop amount by using a weapon with "looting" enchanted on it). Gold, diamond, and emerald ore also drop money when mined. Players also drop money when killed by other players. Like...all their money. 100% of your purse is dropped on the ground when someone kills you. However, I know that can quickly cause salt and chaos, which is why we also have banking options!

There are no commands associated with this plugin. Just kill/mine things, and get money.

Show ContentTime is Money:

Now you get money just for being logged in! It's a small amount, about $1 per minute every 10 minutes (for people without the special "vip" tag, which may be introduced later for donating to the server) but it does add up in the course of a day, a week, a month of building. You don't earn monies for being afk. This plugin also adds the option of banking via a sign-based "atm" which can be accessed via a right-click, which opens an interace whereby you can withdraw or deposit monies.

@ to make an ATM (assuming you have permissions) you set up a sign with this format: > click here <

Show ContentHyperConomy:

n all-in-one economy plugin, allowing for various kinds of shops and trading all in one plugin. Allows for a server-wide money-based economy with dynamic prices that can either change based upon supply, or be set manually by people in their shops. I haven't configured the economy completely as I still need to edit the database and tables and etc etc etc, but it "works" and that's the key thing. Sadly, i don't think I can set up the plugin to use items as money (like gold bars or emeralds, or whatever), so we're using arbitrary numbers to represent value. Use /balance to check your number of monies. I intend to set up a server-run central "bank" that'll accept your shinies in exchange for monies to spend, and various server shops from which to buy things that are otherwise hard to get.

Admitedly, there's a lot of commands to list here.
@ > Go here < for a list of commands for using HyperConomy
@ > Go here < for a list of commands for setting up your own shops and stuff

Show ContentSuperTrails:

Shinies to wear! Type /trails to open the interface and pick soem really neat trails to follow you around and be pretty! This may go away later, but for now, enjoy being pretty. Find out more here

Show ContentFactions:

This is absolutely YUUUGE. This update brings a faction plugin to the server, allowing players to join together and claim parts of the world, waging war between each other to cull or claim their enemies, making allies, building their bases...yeah, I still prefer Towny, but I figure we lose nothing by giving this a try. Faction claims protect the claimed plots of land from griefing, as faction leaders can assign permissions to areas under their control, which is the main reason why I was looking at something like this.

Factions also came with an assortment of other plugins that'll really give the server some flair:
- CreativeGates - introduces the ability for players to create their own linked portal networks, for that day in the future when I limit everyone to a single /home. Oh yes, it's coming. Tongue
- MassiveBooks - Greatly expands the uses for books and gives additional functionality, such as the ability to edit a book after writing one, creating "server books" - prewritten books that'll automatically write themselves if you use their title for your book - and item-frame bookcases that'll let you create actual functional libraries, among other things. Pretty wicked.
-MassiveHat - Silly hats for silly people. Turn anything in your inventory into a hat!*

Factions works best with a lot more people than we have, but we'll give it a try, yeah? Oh, and on that note...

You can create Faction Mobs!
This is basically a way for factions to raise large standing armies - for a price -  to wage their warfare. Certainly not a good as fighting real people, but who doesn't like riding into battle with hordes of minions are their back?

Show ContentCitizens2:

This is massive. I mean, not as readily massive as some of the other plugins, but this one has the potential to grow based on how it's used. We can have NPCs wandering our world, performing various functions, acting as our, well, citizens. Already I have a few plugins installed that introduce certain "traits" to the created npcs, which determine how the npc behaves. More may be added in the future, but so far we have:
- Alchemist - An npc that will create certain potions for you if you have the right ingredients...for a price. Potion recipes still have to be created on my end, but I intend to make every non-splash potion available.
- Blacksmith - You can now repair your weapons, tool, and armor...again, for a price. Who knows, you might get lucky and find yourself with something better than you had before. Wink
- Builder - Bring the builder the right blocks, and he will build your buildings for you. Can be set to make new constructions, or moitor an area for changes and change them back to how they were; useful for fixing war damage, or guarding a creation against griefing/mistakes. Makes use of schematics, which an admin or mod will have to create, but this will be the primary way for you to transplant your builds from creative maps into the survival world...for a price, of course. (Oh, also, only those who've supported the community financially will be able to make use of this; just fair warning)
- Sentinel - Create customizable and equipable guards for your homes/cities/bases/whatever. Can be set to patrol an area, sit in one place, attack only certain targets, etc etc. Keep those annoying husks out of your home.
- Hypermerchant - Create npc shopkeepers that'll sell your stuff for you with an easy-to-use graphical interface and a minimum of weird text-based commands...for a small commission.  Also, your shop NPCs will show up on the dynamic map for everyone to see what you're selling and where you're selling it, which is nice.
- Denizens - This...this is huge. We can create fully scripted NPCs that will do whatever we want. This one isn't some plug-and-play plugin, this one actually requires a lot of actual scripting knowledge, but the payoff would be huge if I/we could get a handle on how it works. I'm talkin' quest npcs, simple townsfolk, travelers, gatekeepers, conversationalists...This is huge. This is beyond my ability. This is something I really need to get a handle on, and make some really unique stuff.

Oh yeah, did I mention our NPCs will now show up on the dynamic map? Because they will.