Server Setup & Operations

Who this guide is for

This page is for server owners and operators running MiniModes on Spigot or Paper servers in:

public networks / hubs
private friend servers
event servers (tournaments, streams, etc.)

The goal is to get you from “download the jar” to a stable, operable MiniModes setup.

Requirements

MiniModes is designed for:

Platform: Spigot or Paper (Paper recommended)
Minecraft version: Match the MiniModes release notes
Java: Same or higher LTS as your server (usually Java 17+)
Permissions plugin: LuckPerms, PermissionsEx, or similar (optional but recommended)

Make sure your server:

starts cleanly without MiniModes
has enough RAM for your typical player load + extra worlds for games

1. Installing MiniModes

Step 1: Place the plugin

Download the MiniModes jar from your chosen source.
Place it into your server’s plugins/ directory.
Restart the server fully (not just /reload).

On startup MiniModes will:

create its data folder (plugins/MiniModes/)
scan for extensions (games) in its extensions directory
register core commands (/minimodes, /mm, /party, /mmgame)

Tip: Use a fresh restart instead of plugin reloaders. MiniModes manages worlds, parties, and running games; hard reloads can leave state behind.

2. Adding game extensions

MiniModes is a framework; the actual games are shipped as extensions (often .mmx files, or jars using the MiniModes API).

Step 1: Drop in extensions

Locate your MiniModes extensions directory
(commonly something like plugins/MiniModes/extensions/).
Download your chosen game extensions.
Place the .mmx / extension jars into that directory.
Restart the server or run the appropriate MiniModes reload command
(e.g. /minimodes reload if available in your version).

MiniModes will:

load each extension
register each game (with name, icon, min/max players, metadata)
expose games in the Game Selection GUI via /minimodes

Step 2: Verify loaded games

Use the plugin’s built-in listing (exact syntax may differ by version):

/minimodes list
Lists all registered game types MiniModes sees.

If a game is missing, check:

server console for MiniModes startup logs
whether the extension file is in the correct directory
that the extension targets your server/MiniModes version

3. Basic configuration

MiniModes ships with configuration files under its data folder, typically:

plugins/MiniModes/config.yml (core behavior)
possibly other *.yml or *.json for advanced options

Common things operators tend to configure

While the exact options depend on your version, you’ll usually see:

Language / messages
- Prefixes / colors for MiniModes chat messages
- Titles/subtitles text for countdowns and transitions
Default behavior
- Whether solo players get auto-partied
- Mashup defaults (cooldowns, delays, randomization behavior)
- Default GUIs (whether to show certain prompts)
World / performance
- Naming patterns for temporary worlds
- How aggressively old worlds and game instances are cleaned up

Best practice:
Use version control (e.g. Git) for plugins/MiniModes/ configuration. This makes it easy to:

track changes

roll back bad edits

keep staging and production in sync

After editing configs:

Restart the server, or
Use /minimodes reload (if supported) and watch the console for errors

4. Permissions & roles

MiniModes is most useful when regular players can start and join games, while staff have extra tools (force joins, admin controls, etc.).

Exact permission nodes depend on your version, but usually fall into:

Player-facing permissions

Common examples (names are illustrative):

minimodes.menu
Use /minimodes or /mm to open the Game Selection GUI.
minimodes.party.use
Basic party commands:
- /party create
- /party invite <player>
- /party accept <player>
- /party leave
- /party list
- /party rematch
minimodes.party.mashup
Use /party mashup <start|stop>.
minimodes.game.use
- /mm game leave
- /mm game spectate <player>
- /mm game settings (view-only or change, depending on game rules)

Staff / operator permissions

Again, names are examples; check your version’s reference:

minimodes.admin
Access to admin-only functionality, such as:
- forcibly starting/stopping games
- debugging / info commands
- extension reloads
minimodes.party.force
Use any “force” variants under /party (e.g. forcibly move or kick players between parties, start games for them).

Suggested roles

With a plugin like LuckPerms:

Default players
- base MiniModes usage:
  - open /minimodes
  - manage their own party
  - join & leave games
Trusted / VIP players
- everything above, plus maybe:
  - Mashup mode
  - starting parties for larger player counts
Staff / Moderators
- everything above, plus:
  - force party tools
  - spectating anyone’s games
Admins
- full MiniModes permissions:
  - reload / debug commands
  - can shut down misbehaving games quickly

Tip: Start restrictive and open up as you see how players use MiniModes. Misconfigured admin permissions can let players grief active games.

5. Worlds, maps, and instances

MiniModes uses a World Manager internally to:

create temporary game worlds (maps / instances)
clean them up once games finish
keep your main lobby / survival worlds separate from game worlds

Recommended setup

Treat your hub / lobby world as read-only for MiniModes.
Provide MiniModes with templates or let extensions handle their own maps, depending on how each game is implemented.
Don’t manually teleport players into MiniModes worlds; instead, let MiniModes handle joining via its own commands and GUIs.

Cleaning up old worlds

MiniModes is designed to clean up after itself. If you ever see:

leftover game worlds
stranded players in empty instances

…check:

Server console for errors when stopping worlds.
Whether you’re using plugin reloaders or killed the server uncleanly.
Any custom configurations that disabled or altered cleanup behavior.

If you do a hard crash or forced stop:

Restart the server cleanly.
Let MiniModes run its shutdown/startup routines again.

6. Operating games day‑to‑day

Player commands you should know

These are the commands you’ll want in docs or server help menus:

Game selection:
- /minimodes or /mm
  Opens the Game Selection GUI.
  Players pick a game; MiniModes checks party size and requirements.
Party management:
- /party create
- /party invite <player>
- /party accept <player>
- /party leave
- /party kick <player>
- /party list
- /party rematch
- /party mashup <start|stop>
In‑game control:
- /mm game leave
- /mm game spectate <player>
- /mm game stop (usually leader or staff)
- /mm game win <players…> (leader / admins; force‑ends with winners)
- /mm game settings (view/change runtime settings if allowed)

Staff workflows

As an operator, set clear policies for:

Who is allowed to start games with many players?
(e.g. reserved for staff or event hosts for large public lobbies)
When to use / force stop games?
If a game misbehaves, staff can:
- Use /mm game stop as leader / admin.
- Teleport players back to lobby via your hub plugin.
- Check logs for stack traces and share them with developers.
Handling grief / abuse
- Use your moderation tools (mutes/bans).
- Temporarily remove permissions from groups abusing party tools.

7. Mashup mode in production

Mashup mode turns MiniModes into an automatic playlist:

/party mashup start
Starts Mashup for the current party:
- picks compatible games at random
- automatically starts new rounds while the party is idle
/party mashup stop
Stops Mashup rotation.

Operational considerations

Mashup only uses games marked as:
- Mashup‑compatible, and
- Supporting the party’s player count
Game settings may be:
- randomized for each match, or
- use extension defaults (depending on game support)

For public servers:

Decide whether everyone can start Mashup, or only:
- VIPs
- staff
- event roles

Allowing Mashup everywhere is fun, but can:

increase world churn (more temporary instances)
create more frequent game transitions / chat noise

8. Monitoring, logs, and troubleshooting

Logs to watch

On startup and shutdown, look for MiniModes lines related to:

loaded extensions and registered games
world manager activity (creating/cleaning worlds)
party/mashup manager state
any uncaught exceptions from game extensions

Common issues & checks

Issue: Players can’t open /minimodes or see games.
Check:

permissions (do they have the menu permission?)
at least one extension is loaded successfully

Issue: Worlds are left behind after crashes.
Check:

whether the server was forcibly killed (kill -9, power loss)
log messages during the last clean shutdown/startup
configuration that might disable cleanup
whether a plugin reloader was used

Issue: Party flow is confusing players.
Operational fixes:

add a short “How to use MiniModes” section in your lobby
explain:
- /party basics
- only leaders can start games
- how Mashup works
link them to your web docs or /help pages that summarize commands

9. Best practices for production servers

Avoid plugin reloaders.
MiniModes manages active game state and temporary worlds; use full restarts.
Use staging.
Test new extensions, new MiniModes versions, and configuration changes on a test server before rolling to production.
Limit experimental games.
Put untested or unstable extensions behind:
- higher permission nodes, or
- a separate test server.
Automate backups.
Regularly back up:
- config files
- important world data
- MiniModes data folder (excluding ephemeral world directories)
Document your flows.
For staff:
- how to start/stop featured game rotations
- how to troubleshoot if games hang
- where to find logs for bug reports

10. Next steps

Once your server is running MiniModes reliably:

Read “Playing with MiniModes” to see the experience from a player’s perspective.
Explore the commands reference to fine‑tune permissions and help menus.
If you’re a developer or have one on your team, look at “Creating Extensions” to start building your own custom games.

MiniModes gives you the framework; your job as an operator is to configure it once, keep it healthy, and let your players enjoy the games.