Installation

Installation

Requirements

Server	Paper 1.21+ (tested on Paper 26.2, which itself requires Java 25 to run)
Java	21+
Required	Vault and a Vault-compatible economy plugin (EssentialsX, CMI, etc.)
Optional	The eco suite (EcoItems, EcoArmor, Talismans, Reforges, EcoPets, EcoScrolls) — for custom items and the tier filter
Optional	PlaceholderAPI, Citizens (auctioneer NPCs), EconGuard (shared audit ledger)

The eco suite is entirely optional. Without it you lose custom-item categorisation and the tier filter; everything else works, and the plugin never touches an eco class. JDBC drivers and HikariCP are downloaded at runtime by Paper's library loader — nothing is shaded.

Vault is not an economy. Vault is only a bridge — you also need an actual economy plugin registered through it, or there's no currency to move.

Steps

1. Download RoyalAuctions.jar and place it in your server's plugins/ folder.
2. Make sure Vault and your economy plugin are installed.
3. Start (or restart) the server. RoyalAuctions generates its files under plugins/RoyalAuctions/.
4. Edit the menus, categories, and config to taste.
5. Run /ah reload to apply changes without a restart.

Generated files

plugins/RoyalAuctions/
├── config.yml            # storage, listing rules, bidding, tiers, confirmations
├── messages.yml          # every player-facing string
├── auctions.db           # SQLite database (created on first run)
├── categories/           # one file per browser category
│   ├── weapons.yml
│   ├── armor.yml
│   ├── accessories.yml
│   ├── consumables.yml
│   ├── blocks.yml
│   └── tools_misc.yml     # the catch-all
└── gui/                  # one file per menu (see Menus & GUI)

First boot checklist

• Console shows RoyalAuctions enabling with no economy warning. If it reports waiting for an economy provider, your economy plugin isn't registering — see FAQ & Troubleshooting.
• /ah opens the hub.
• With EcoItems installed, watch the console for the category audit line — it tells you which custom items only hit the catch-all and are worth pinning (see Categories).

Load order note

RoyalAuctions waits for the Vault economy provider to register rather than disabling itself if the provider isn't ready the instant it enables. Plugin load order can't silently kill it — but if no economy plugin ever registers, buying and selling will fail until one does.