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Karashi edited this page Nov 14, 2025 · 4 revisions

This guide is specifically for server administrators deploying Limited Spectator in production environments. It covers best practices, security considerations, and deployment strategies.

📌 Version Notice for Admins

Important: Configuration examples on this page are for Beta v1.1.0 only.

If Using Stable v1.0.2

You cannot customize settings via config file. All values are hardcoded:

  • Distance: 75 blocks (fixed)
  • Permissions: Level 0 - all players (fixed)
  • Interactions: Doors, trapdoors, gates only (fixed)
  • All other settings: Default values (fixed)

To customize behavior, you must:

  1. Wait for stable v1.1.0 release, OR
  2. Use Beta v1.1.0 on a test server first

If Using Beta v1.1.0

All configuration examples below are available. Test thoroughly before deploying to production.

Deployment Strategies

Server Types and Recommended Configurations

Note: These configurations require Beta v1.1.0. Stable v1.0.2 uses fixed defaults.

Competitive PvP Servers

Goal: Minimize spectator advantages, prevent scouting

Recommended Config:

[movement]
  max_distance = 50.0
  allow_dimension_travel = false
  teleport_back_on_exceed = true
  reset_position_on_logout = true

[interactions]
  allow_pvp = false
  allow_item_drop = false
  allow_item_pickup = false
  allow_inventory_crafting = false
  interactable_blocks = []

[commands]
  spectator_command_permission_level = 2
  require_op_for_spectator = true

[messages]
  use_action_bar_messages = true
  show_distance_warnings = true

Rationale:

  • Tight 50-block radius prevents long-range scouting
  • No interactions prevent cheating assistance
  • OP-only access ensures only trusted staff can spectate
  • Position reset prevents teleport exploits

Cooperative PvE Servers

Goal: Allow helpful spectating without breaking gameplay

Recommended Config:

[movement]
  max_distance = 150.0
  allow_dimension_travel = false
  teleport_back_on_exceed = true
  reset_position_on_logout = true

[interactions]
  allow_pvp = false
  allow_item_drop = false
  allow_item_pickup = true
  allow_inventory_crafting = false
  interactable_blocks = [
    "minecraft:oak_door",
    "minecraft:stone_button",
    "minecraft:lever"
  ]

[commands]
  spectator_command_permission_level = 0
  require_op_for_spectator = false

[messages]
  use_action_bar_messages = true
  show_distance_warnings = true

Rationale:

  • 150-block radius allows base exploration
  • Mob attacks enabled so spectators can help with defense
  • Item pickup allowed for loot collection
  • Open access for all players
  • Still prevents griefing (no block breaking/placing)

Creative/Building Servers

Goal: Allow flexible spectating for design review

Recommended Config:

[movement]
  max_distance = 500.0
  allow_dimension_travel = true
  teleport_back_on_exceed = false
  reset_position_on_logout = false

[interactions]
  allow_pvp = false
  allow_item_drop = true
  allow_item_pickup = true
  allow_inventory_crafting = true
  interactable_blocks = [
    "minecraft:oak_door",
    "minecraft:chest",
    "minecraft:lever",
    "minecraft:oak_button"
  ]

[commands]
  spectator_command_permission_level = 0
  require_op_for_spectator = false

[messages]
  show_distance_warnings = false

Rationale:

  • Large 500-block radius for big builds
  • Dimension travel for Nether/End builds
  • Warnings only (no forced teleport)
  • Item interactions for inventory management
  • Block breaking still disabled to prevent griefing

Roleplay/Survival Servers

Goal: Allow spectating for AFK/idle players

Recommended Config:

[movement]
  max_distance = 100.0
  allow_dimension_travel = false
  teleport_back_on_exceed = true
  reset_position_on_logout = true

[player_abilities]
  enable_invulnerability = true
  enable_flight = true

[interactions]
  allow_pvp = false
  allow_item_drop = false
  allow_item_pickup = false
  allow_inventory_crafting = false
  interactable_blocks = ["minecraft:oak_door"]

[commands]
  spectator_command_permission_level = 0
  require_op_for_spectator = false

Rationale:

  • Moderate distance for temporary observation
  • Full invulnerability for AFK safety
  • Minimal interactions (doors only)
  • Public access for all players
  • HUD automatically hidden (F1 to toggle)

Security Best Practices

Permission Management

Using Permission Levels

Set appropriate permission levels based on server trust:

# Public servers (untrusted players)
spectator_command_permission_level = 2
require_op_for_spectator = true

# Semi-private servers (trusted community)
spectator_command_permission_level = 1
require_op_for_spectator = false

# Private servers (friends/family)
spectator_command_permission_level = 0
require_op_for_spectator = false

Granting Temporary Spectator Access

For temporary access without full OP:

  1. Give OP temporarily:

    /op <player>
[Player uses /spectator]
/deop <player>

  2. Or reduce permission requirement:

    spectator_command_permission_level = 0

    Then change it back after.

  3. Or use permission mods (future feature).

Preventing Exploits

Distance Limit Bypass Prevention

Exploit: Player uses /spectator, flies near limit, logs out, logs back in at edge, uses /survival to "teleport"

Prevention:

[movement]
  reset_position_on_logout = true

This forces players back to starting position on logout.

Dimension Travel Exploits

Exploit: Player uses Nether to travel 8x distance (coordinate scaling)

Prevention:

[movement]
  allow_dimension_travel = false

Item Transfer Exploits

Exploit: Spectator drops items to help other players

Prevention:

[interactions]
  allow_item_drop = false
  allow_item_pickup = false

The mod properly handles item drops by cancelling the event and restoring the item to inventory.

Noclip Exploits

Risk: Using vanilla SPECTATOR gamemode allows phasing through walls

Prevention:

[abilities]
  spectator_gamemode = "ADVENTURE"

Default ADVENTURE mode prevents noclip while allowing flight.

Monitoring and Logging

Server Console Logs

Limited Spectator logs all spectator mode changes:

[LimitedSpectator] Player entered spectator mode at (123.45, 64.0, -678.90)
[LimitedSpectator] Player exited spectator mode
[LimitedSpectator] Player exceeded distance limit (current: 85.3, max: 75.0)

Monitoring Tips:

  • Watch for frequent spectator mode switches (potential exploit attempts)
  • Track distance violations (may indicate bypass attempts)
  • Log spectator entries during PvP events (potential unfair advantage)

Custom Logging Script

Create a log parser to track spectator usage:

#!/bin/bash
# spectator-monitor.sh
grep "LimitedSpectator" logs/latest.log | grep "entered spectator" | awk '{print $4, $5, $6}'

This extracts all spectator entries with timestamps.

Integration with Other Plugins/Mods

Anti-Cheat Compatibility

Limited Spectator may trigger anti-cheat plugins due to flight. Configure your anti-cheat:

NoCheatPlus

Add to config.yml:

checks:
  moving:
    survivalfly:
      active: false

Or exempt spectators:

permissions:
  - 'nocheatplus.checks.moving.survivalfly'

Spartan Anti-Cheat

Whitelist Limited Spectator:

Checks:
  Flight:
    enabled: false

Permission Plugins (Future)

Limited Spectator does not yet integrate with permission plugins, but you can work around this:

LuckPerms Workaround

Use command aliases to require permissions:

  1. Install a command alias plugin
  2. Create alias that checks permission, then runs /spectator

Future versions will have native LuckPerms support.

Claiming/Protection Plugins

Limited Spectator respects server-side block interaction events, so plugins like:

  • FTB Chunks: Claimed areas block spectator interactions
  • GriefPrevention: Protected areas remain protected
  • WorldGuard: Region flags apply to spectators

Testing: Ensure spectators cannot interact with protected blocks.

Economy Plugins

No direct integration needed, but consider:

  • Charging for spectator access via economy plugins
  • Restricting spectator mode to premium members

Implementation: Use permission levels + economy plugin rewards.

Performance Optimization

Measuring Performance Impact

Limited Spectator has minimal performance impact:

  • Per-tick overhead: ~0.01ms per spectator (distance check)
  • Memory usage: ~200 bytes per spectator (position storage)
  • Network usage: ~10 bytes per HUD packet

Benchmarking

Test with Spark profiler:

/spark profiler start
[Players use spectator mode]
/spark profiler stop

Look for SpectatorMod.onPlayerTick in results.

Optimization Tips

Reduce Distance Check Frequency (Advanced)

For servers with 100+ simultaneous spectators, consider modifying the code to check distance every 5 ticks instead of every tick:

// In SpectatorMod.java
if (serverPlayer.tickCount % 5 == 0) {
    // Distance check logic
}

This reduces overhead by 80% with minimal impact on enforcement.

Increase Distance Limit Instead of Unlimited

Instead of max_distance = -1.0 (unlimited), use a very large value:

max_distance = 10000.0

This provides soft limits without disabling the feature, allowing future enforcement if needed.

Backup and Maintenance

Configuration Backups

Always backup config before updates:

cp config/limitedspectator-common.toml config/limitedspectator-common.toml.backup

Restore if update breaks config:

cp config/limitedspectator-common.toml.backup config/limitedspectator-common.toml

Version Updates

When updating Limited Spectator:

  1. Read Changelog: Check for breaking changes
  2. Backup Config: Save current config
  3. Test on Development Server: Never update directly on production
  4. Compare Configs: Check for new config options
  5. Update Production: Once tested, deploy to production

Rollback Plan

If an update causes issues:

  1. Stop the server
  2. Replace JAR with previous version
  3. Restore config backup
  4. Restart server
  5. Report bug on GitHub

Advanced Configuration Scenarios

Scenario 1: Time-Limited Spectator Access

Goal: Allow spectators for 5 minutes, then auto-kick

Implementation: Use a scheduled task plugin

# With CommandTimer or similar
tasks:
  - command: "/execute as @a[gamemode=adventure] run survival"
    interval: 300 # 5 minutes

Future: Native time limits planned.

Scenario 2: Spectator-Only Areas

Goal: Restrict spectator mode to specific regions

Implementation: Use WorldGuard + command restrictions

  1. Create region: /region define spectator-zone
  2. Allow /spectator only in region using command filtering

Workaround: Not natively supported yet.

Scenario 3: Spectator Queue System

Goal: Limit spectators to 5 at a time

Implementation: External queue system

  1. Track spectator count with a plugin
  2. Only allow /spectator if count < 5
  3. Auto-kick oldest spectator when limit reached

Future: Native spectator limits planned.

Scenario 4: Per-Rank Distance Limits

Goal: VIP members get 200-block radius, regular members get 75

Implementation: Not supported in current version

Workaround:

  1. Create two separate servers with different configs
  2. Use permission plugin + command override
  3. Wait for future update with per-player limits

Troubleshooting for Admins

Players Report Being "Stuck" in Spectator Mode

Diagnosis:

  1. Check player's game mode: /data get entity <player> playerGameType
  2. Check abilities: /data get entity <player> abilities
  3. Check server logs for errors during spectator entry

Solutions:

  1. Force game mode change: /gamemode survival <player>
  2. Teleport to spawn: /tp <player> <spawn coordinates>
  3. Kick and rejoin: /kick <player> Spectator mode reset

Distance Limits Not Enforced

Diagnosis:

  1. Check config: max_distance value
  2. Check if /reload was run after config change
  3. Verify mod is loaded: grep logs for "LimitedSpectator"

Solutions:

  1. Reload config: /reload
  2. Restart server
  3. Verify TOML syntax (use online validator)

Spectators Can Break/Place Blocks

Note: Block breaking and placing are always disabled in ADVENTURE mode at the GameMode level. This cannot be changed or configured.

If spectators can break blocks, they are likely not in Limited Spectator mode. Verify with:

  1. Check if player is in spectator mode (/spectator was used)
  2. Verify spectator_gamemode = "ADVENTURE" in config
  3. Check for mod conflicts overriding game modes
  4. Check logs for event cancellation messages

Server Rules and Player Guidelines

Recommended Server Rules for Spectator Mode

Post these rules in your server documentation:

  1. No Scouting: Don't use spectator mode to scout enemy bases in PvP
  2. No Ghosting: Don't share info from spectator mode in voice chat
  3. No Exploit Attempts: Don't try to bypass distance limits or restrictions
  4. Respectful Spectating: Don't harass players while spectating
  5. Time Limits: Spectator mode is for temporary observation only (if applicable)

Enforcing Rules

  • Warnings: Use /warn <player> (if using moderation plugin)
  • Temp Ban: /ban <player> 1d Spectator mode abuse
  • Remove Access: Change config to require_op_for_spectator = true

Multi-Server Setups

Using Limited Spectator Across Multiple Servers

For networks with multiple servers (BungeeCord, Velocity):

Considerations:

  • Each server has independent config
  • Spectator state does NOT transfer between servers
  • Player switching servers exits spectator mode

Recommended Setup:

  1. Use identical configs across all servers
  2. Document that spectator mode is per-server
  3. Consider adding /spectator to each server's help text

Support and Community

Getting Admin Support

For admin-specific questions:

  1. Check this guide first
  2. Review Configuration Guide
  3. Search GitHub Issues
  4. Open new issue with "Server Admin" tag

Reporting Security Issues

DO NOT report security vulnerabilities publicly. Email: [your email] or open a private security advisory on GitHub.

Contributing to Development

Admins can contribute by:

  • Testing beta releases on test servers
  • Suggesting features based on real-world usage
  • Reporting compatibility issues with other mods
  • Documenting advanced configurations

See CONTRIBUTING.md for contribution guidelines.

Checklist for Production Deployment

Before deploying Limited Spectator to production:

  • Tested on development server
  • Config customized for server type
  • Permission levels set appropriately
  • Anti-cheat configured to allow spectator flight
  • Server rules updated with spectator guidelines
  • Backup of config created
  • Staff trained on /spectator and /survival commands
  • Players notified of new feature
  • Monitoring set up for spectator logs
  • Rollback plan documented

Need more help? Open an issue or check the FAQ.

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