Run Several Game Modes as One Network

Plan the network

Fill in this plan before you ask for servers. It decides how much to order and saves rework.

Rules for the plan:

• Names are lowercase, no spaces: lobby, skyblock, oneblock, chunklock. You'll type them in velocity.toml, in NPC actions, in menus and in LuckPerms contexts, and they must match exactly everywhere.
• One game mode per server. Don't put Skyblock and OneBlock on the same server to save money: they'd share one main thread and lag together, which is the problem a network solves.
• Pick each server's Minecraft version as the newest version all that server's plugins support. They can differ (for example, if the Chunklock plugin lags a release behind). Velocity itself supports all current versions, and ViaVersion on Velocity lets newer clients join older back-ends (step 12). Matching versions everywhere is simplest when you can.
• Velocity is light. Its own guidance is roughly 512 MB of heap per 500 players; 1 GB is plenty for small and medium networks. Spend memory on the game servers.

Get the servers on your account

1. Contact us (or order through your account) for the servers in your plan: Velocity, lobby, and one Paper server per mode, with the memory from the table. Mention it's a network so we can keep the back-end ports private.
2. When they appear in your server list, open each one and go to Settings. Rename them so you can tell them apart, e.g. Network - Velocity, Network - Lobby, Network - Skyblock.
3. On each Paper server, open Startup and set Minecraft Version to the exact version you chose for that server (not latest). Change version
4. On the Velocity server, open Startup and check the Velocity version is current. Keep it up to date: newer Velocity builds are what let newer Minecraft clients connect.
5. Start each Paper server once, accept the EULA in the console when asked, then Stop it. First start

Check it worked: every server in your list has a clear name, and each Paper server has generated server.properties, config/paper-global.yml and spigot.yml in Files.

Write down each server's address

Velocity needs the address and port of every back-end.

1. Open each Paper server's Network page.
2. Note the primary allocation: an IP address and port, e.g. 10.11.30.202:40003. Use the address shown there, not your public connect address.
3. Fill in a table like this (yours will have different numbers):

The Velocity server's own allocation is the only address players use. Give players that address (or point your domain's SRV record at it). Connect

Set up Velocity

4.1 Generate the files

1. Open the Velocity server and Start it. Wait until the console shows it's listening, then Stop it.
2. In Files you now have velocity.toml, forwarding.secret and a plugins folder.

4.2 Edit velocity.toml

Open velocity.toml in Files. Don't replace the whole file: change the lines below and leave everything else (including config-version) as it is.

# --- top of the file ---
motd = "<aqua>CrashCrafts Network</aqua> <gray>- Skyblock, OneBlock, Chunklock"
show-max-players = 200
online-mode = true
force-key-authentication = true
player-info-forwarding-mode = "modern"
forwarding-secret-file = "forwarding.secret"
announce-forge = false
kick-existing-players = false
ping-passthrough = "DISABLED"

[servers]
lobby     = "10.11.30.202:40005"
skyblock  = "10.11.30.202:40003"
oneblock  = "10.11.30.202:40007"
chunklock = "10.11.30.202:40002"

# Where players go when they join, and where they fall back to if a server goes down
try = ["lobby"]

[forced-hosts]
# Delete the example.com lines that come in the default file.
# Optional: send a subdomain straight to one mode.
# "skyblock.yourdomain.com" = ["skyblock"]

[advanced]
compression-threshold = 256
bungee-plugin-message-channel = true
failover-on-unexpected-server-disconnect = true

What each setting does:

4.3 Copy the forwarding secret

1. Open forwarding.secret in Files. It contains one long random line.
2. Copy it somewhere safe (a password manager). You'll paste it into every back-end.

4.4 Install Velocity plugins

Velocity has its own plugins (Paper plugins don't work on it). Install them into the Velocity server's plugins folder: from Minecraft Plugins if it lists a Velocity version, or download the Velocity jar from the plugin's Modrinth/Hangar page and use Files → plugins → Upload.

Start Velocity. Check it worked: the console shows no errors, and velocity plugins in the Velocity console lists the plugins you installed.

Set up each Paper back-end

Repeat this for every Paper server: lobby, Skyblock, OneBlock and Chunklock.

5.1 server.properties

Stop the server, open server.properties and set:

5.2 config/paper-global.yml

Find the proxies: section and set the velocity part:

proxies:
  bungee-cord:
    online-mode: true
  proxy-protocol: false
  velocity:
    enabled: true
    online-mode: true
    secret: 'paste-the-forwarding-secret-here'

• velocity.enabled: true turns on modern forwarding.
• velocity.online-mode must match online-mode in velocity.toml (true).
• secret is the exact text from forwarding.secret, in single quotes.

5.3 spigot.yml

Make sure settings.bungeecord is false. That setting is for BungeeCord's old, insecure forwarding and conflicts with Velocity's.

5.4 Start and check

Start the server. The start-up log should show no forwarding errors. Repeat 5.1–5.4 on every Paper back-end.

Test the connections

Do these tests before building anything else. Fixing forwarding later, after players have joined, is much harder.

1. Join the Velocity address from your Minecraft client. You should land in the lobby (still an empty world for now).
2. Type /server skyblock. You should move to the Skyblock server with the same skin. Repeat for oneblock and chunklock, then /server lobby.
3. Try connecting directly to a back-end's address (for testing only). It must refuse you with a message like "This server requires you to connect with Velocity." If it lets you in, that server's forwarding isn't set up, and anyone could join it as anyone. Fix it before going further.
4. In the Velocity console, run glist all. It lists every server and who's on it.

Build the lobby

The lobby is the first thing every player sees. Keep it small, fast and focused on getting players into a game.

7.1 The lobby world

Choose one:

• A downloaded or commissioned lobby map. Stop the lobby server, delete the world folder (and world_nether, world_the_end) in Files, upload the map's folder and rename it to world (or set level-name to its name). Large maps upload more easily over SFTP. Upload a world
• Build your own. Start with a flat or void world and build a small spawn: a central hub with one area or NPC per game mode.

Then set, in the lobby's server.properties:

7.2 Protect it with WorldGuard

Install WorldEdit and WorldGuard on the lobby (Minecraft Plugins), restart, then run these in game as an op (or in the console, adding -w world):

/rg flag __global__ pvp deny
/rg flag __global__ mob-spawning deny
/rg flag __global__ fall-damage deny
/rg flag __global__ item-drop deny
/rg flag __global__ block-break deny
/rg flag __global__ block-place deny
/rg flag __global__ time-lock 6000
/rg flag __global__ weather-lock clear

__global__ is WorldGuard's region for the whole world. Ops and staff with worldguard.region.bypass.world can still build. Check it worked: from a non-op account, try to break a block, hit another player and drop an item: all three should fail.

Falling into the void: put a floor of barrier blocks a few blocks below your build, or make sure players can't reach the edge. A player who dies in the void respawns at world spawn, so set it with /setworldspawn standing on your spawn point.

7.3 NPCs that send players to each server

We use FancyNpcs (free, maintained, packet-based so the NPCs cost almost nothing). Install it on the lobby, restart, then stand where the Skyblock NPC should be and run:

/npc create skyblock
/npc skin skyblock Notch
/npc displayname skyblock <gold><bold>SKYBLOCK</bold></gold>
/npc turn_to_player skyblock true
/npc action skyblock ANY_CLICK add send_to_server skyblock
/npc action skyblock ANY_CLICK add play_sound entity.experience_orb.pickup

• /npc create skyblock makes an NPC called skyblock where you stand.
• skin copies a player's skin; use any player name, or a skin URL.
• send_to_server skyblock must match the name in velocity.toml exactly.
• Triggers are ANY_CLICK, LEFT_CLICK or RIGHT_CLICK.

Repeat for oneblock and chunklock. To move an NPC, stand in the new spot and run /npc move_here <name>. /npc list shows them all.

Check it worked: from a non-op account, click each NPC. You should move to that server. If nothing happens, check bungee-plugin-message-channel = true in velocity.toml and that the name matches.

7.4 A compass menu

A menu lets players switch from anywhere in the lobby. Install DeluxeMenus and PlaceholderAPI (DeluxeMenus needs it) on the lobby and restart.

1. In Files, open plugins/DeluxeMenus/gui_menus/ and create a file games.yml:

   menu_title: '&8Choose a game'
   open_command: games
   size: 27
   items:
     'skyblock':
       material: GRASS_BLOCK
       slot: 11
       display_name: '&a&lSkyblock'
       lore:
         - '&7Build your island in the sky.'
         - '&eClick to play'
       left_click_commands:
         - '[close]'
         - '[connect] skyblock'
     'oneblock':
       material: OAK_LOG
       slot: 13
       display_name: '&6&lOneBlock'
       lore:
         - '&7One block. Endless phases.'
         - '&eClick to play'
       left_click_commands:
         - '[close]'
         - '[connect] oneblock'
     'chunklock':
       material: MAP
       slot: 15
       display_name: '&b&lChunklock'
       lore:
         - '&7Unlock the world one chunk at a time.'
         - '&eClick to play'
       left_click_commands:
         - '[close]'
         - '[connect] chunklock'
   

2. Open plugins/DeluxeMenus/config.yml and register it under gui_menus::

   gui_menus:
     games:
       file: games.yml
   

3. Run /dm reload, then /games. Check it worked: the menu opens and each item moves you to its server.

[connect] <server> is DeluxeMenus' send-to-server action and needs the same Velocity setting as the NPCs.

Giving players a compass that opens it: use a join-item plugin such as ItemJoin to give every player a compass in a fixed hotbar slot that runs the games command when used. Its wiki explains the item and command options. If you'd rather not add another plugin, a hologram or sign at spawn saying "Type /games" works too.

Walk-in portals: a portal plugin with proxy support, such as Advanced Portals, can send players to a server when they walk through a frame. See its docs for the portal tag that sets a proxy destination.

7.5 Holograms with player counts

Install FancyHolograms on the lobby. Above each NPC:

/hologram create text skyblock_info
/hologram edit skyblock_info setLine 1 <gold>Skyblock
/hologram edit skyblock_info addLine <gray>Players: %bungee_skyblock%

The %bungee_skyblock% placeholder comes from PlaceholderAPI's Bungee expansion: run /papi ecloud download Bungee, then /papi reload. It asks Velocity for player counts through the same plugin message channel. If it shows 0 or the raw text, check the expansion is installed and the server name matches.

7.6 Spawn behaviour

Install EssentialsX and EssentialsXSpawn on the lobby. Stand on your spawn point and run /setspawn, then in plugins/Essentials/config.yml set spawn-on-join: true so players always arrive at spawn, not where they logged out. Restart.

7.7 What not to put in the lobby

No economy, claims, survival or game-mode plugins. Fewer plugins means a lobby that starts in seconds and almost never breaks.

Set up each game-mode server

Now follow each mode's own guide on its own server, from its install step to its launch checklist:

• Skyblock: Skyblock guide. Decide island size and spacing before the first start: changing them later breaks islands.
• OneBlock: OneBlock guide. Check the Java version on Startup if AOneBlock won't load.
• Chunklock: Chunklock guide. Set a world border and pre-generate before players arrive. Pre-generate

On every game-mode server:

• Install LuckPerms (step 9) and CoreProtect. Give each server's CoreProtect its own database or table prefix; don't share CoreProtect between servers.
• Separate plugins and configs. Don't copy the Skyblock plugins folder to OneBlock: each server gets only what its mode needs.
• Give players a way back to the lobby. Players can type /server lobby (Velocity grants /server to everyone by default). For a friendlier /lobby or /hub command, install a hub-command plugin on Velocity, or add a DeluxeMenus menu with open_command: lobby and a [connect] lobby action on each game server.

Share ranks with LuckPerms and MySQL

With one database, a rank given on any server applies everywhere, and you can still give permissions that only apply on one server.

9.1 Create the database

On the lobby server: Databases → Create Database, name it luckperms, leave Connections From as %, Create. Open the eye to see the host, database name, username and password. Databases

All servers use these same details. If a server can't connect to the database (a Communications link failure on start-up), it may be on a different machine; contact us.

9.2 Configure LuckPerms on every server

Install LuckPerms on Velocity and on every Paper server, start each once, stop, then edit its config:

• Paper servers: plugins/LuckPerms/config.yml
• Velocity: plugins/luckperms/config.yml

Set these keys (the same on every server except server):

server: skyblock          # lobby, skyblock, oneblock, chunklock; use "proxy" on Velocity

storage-method: mariadb

data:
  address: 10.11.30.202:3306
  database: s22_luckperms
  username: u22_UbaU7Gpwtt
  password: 'your-database-password'

messaging-service: sql

• server names this server for permission contexts. Use the same names as in velocity.toml.
• storage-method: mariadb plus the data block points every server at the one database.
• messaging-service: sql makes a change on one server reach the others within seconds, using the database itself. The pluginmsg option also works on a single-proxy network, but needs LuckPerms on the proxy and every back-end.

Start each server. Check it worked: the console says LuckPerms connected to MariaDB. Run lp creategroup test on Skyblock, then lp listgroups on OneBlock: test should be there. Delete it with lp deletegroup test.

If you already had ranks in file storage on one server, run lp export ranks there before switching, then lp import ranks once it's on the database.

9.3 Create the groups

Run these once, on any server (the database shares them). In the Velocity console, the command is lpv instead of lp.

lp creategroup vip
lp creategroup helper
lp creategroup mod
lp creategroup admin

lp group vip parent add default
lp group helper parent add vip
lp group mod parent add helper
lp group admin parent add mod

lp group default setweight 0
lp group vip setweight 10
lp group helper setweight 20
lp group mod setweight 30
lp group admin setweight 40

lp group vip meta setprefix 10 "&a[VIP] "
lp group helper meta setprefix 20 "&b[Helper] "
lp group mod meta setprefix 30 "&2[Mod] "
lp group admin meta setprefix 40 "&c[Admin] "

Each group inherits from the one below, so a mod has every helper permission too.

9.4 Grant permissions, network-wide or per server

A permission without a context applies on every server. Add server=<name> to limit it to one.

# Staff tools everywhere
lp group helper permission set coreprotect.inspect true
lp group helper permission set coreprotect.lookup true
lp group mod permission set coreprotect.rollback true
lp group mod permission set essentials.kick true
lp group mod permission set essentials.mute true
lp group mod permission set essentials.tempban true

# Proxy staff commands
lp group mod permission set velocity.command.glist true
lp group admin permission set velocity.command.send true

# Only on the lobby: builders can use WorldEdit and build
lp creategroup builder
lp group builder parent add default
lp group builder permission set worldedit.* true server=lobby
lp group builder permission set worldguard.region.bypass.world true server=lobby

# Give people ranks
lp user Steve parent add mod
lp user Alex parent add builder

Plugins are only installed where they're used (EssentialsX on servers that have it, and so on), so most nodes only take effect on servers that have that plugin anyway.

For a track to promote staff in order: lp createtrack staff, then lp track staff append helper, lp track staff append mod, lp track staff append admin, and promote with lp user Steve promote staff.

Check it worked: lp user Steve info on any server shows the group, and lp user Alex permission check worldedit.wand on the lobby says true, and false on Skyblock. For a visual editor, run lp editor and open the link.

Chat, tab list and bans across the network

If you skip a proxy ban plugin, a ban with EssentialsX on Skyblock only blocks Skyblock; the player can still join the lobby and other modes.

Economy and inventories

• Keep economies separate. Use a separate economy on each game-mode server (EssentialsX's economy stores balances per server by default). Otherwise money from a mature Skyblock farm buys a head start in Chunklock, and one mode's inflation ruins the others.
• Share an economy only on purpose, for example a cosmetic currency or vote rewards. That needs an economy plugin that stores balances in MySQL and supports several servers; check its docs say so, and give it its own database.
• Inventories are per server. Items never travel between modes. Tell players this in the lobby. Inventory-sync plugins exist for servers running the same mode (Survival-1 and Survival-2); never sync between different modes.

Bedrock players and client versions

• ViaVersion on Velocity lets players on newer clients join back-ends running an older version. Add ViaBackwards for older clients. Install the Velocity versions on the proxy, not on the back-ends.
• Bedrock: Geyser on Velocity only, Floodgate on Velocity and every back-end, all using the same Floodgate key. Never run Geyser on a back-end. Bedrock crossplay
• Test with an old client, a new client and a Bedrock device before launch.

Back up every server

Each server needs its own backup schedule. Times are UTC; stagger them so they don't all run at once. Backup schedules

For each: Schedules → Create Schedule, set the time, turn Only when Server is Online? off, Create, then Edit → Tasks → + to add the tasks. Run it once with Run now and check Backups.

Also lock a backup on every server before updating plugins or Minecraft versions, and download a copy of Velocity's velocity.toml and forwarding.secret: without them the network can't be rebuilt.

Restarts and maintenance order

Daily restarts

Restart game servers one at a time, so the network is never fully down. When a back-end restarts, Velocity moves its players to the lobby (try and failover), and they can go back once it's up.

09:00 UTC is 5:00 am Eastern in summer. Restarting Velocity disconnects everyone, so do it rarely: weekly, or for updates. Most velocity.toml changes (adding a server, editing the MOTD) apply with velocity reload in the Velocity console, no restart needed.

Schedules shows each screen.

Start-up order after maintenance

1. Back-ends first (lobby, then game servers), so they're ready to receive players.
2. Velocity last.

If Velocity starts first, players who join are sent to a lobby that isn't up yet and get a connection error.

Performance and monitoring

• Profile each server separately. spark is built into Paper: /spark tps shows TPS and MSPT, /spark profiler start, wait a few minutes during busy play, then /spark profiler stop for a report link. Fix lag
• Velocity rarely lags. If everyone lags on every server at once, check Velocity's console for errors and its memory use. If only one mode lags, it's that back-end.
• Settings per game server (server.properties): view-distance 7–8 and simulation-distance 4–6 on Skyblock/OneBlock (islands are small, farms are the cost), and pre-generation plus a border on Chunklock. Lobby 6 and 4.
• Paper's safe wins from Paper best practices apply to every back-end.
• Memory: watch each server's usage on its Console page graphs. Raise memory only on the server that needs it.