Installation

Installation & Initial Setup

Setting up BeaconPlus is straightforward, but ensuring your environment is optimized from day one will prevent technical debt later. This guide covers the installation process, prerequisites, and common proactive fixes.

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1. Technical Prerequisites

Before installing, ensure your server meets these requirements:

• Version: Minecraft 1.13 or newer (Full support for the latest 1.20+ releases).
• Java: Java 17 or higher is required for the latest builds.
• Platforms: Spigot, Paper (Recommended), Folia, or any similar fork. Paper is highly recommended for its optimized entity tracking.

Optional (But Recommended) Dependencies:

• Vault: Required if you plan to use standard "Money" for upgrades.
• Economy Plugin: EssentialsX, Treasury, or CMI (required alongside Vault).
• PlayerPoints: If you want to use a points-based economy.
• PAPI (PlaceholderAPI): If you want to use BeaconPlus data in other plugins (like scoreboards).

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2. Step-by-Step Installation

1. Download: Obtain the BeaconPlus-v3.jar file.
2. Upload: Place the .jar into your server's plugins/ directory.
3. Startup: Start your server. BeaconPlus will generate several default configuration files:
   • config.yml: Global logic.
   • beacon.yml: Core mechanics.
   • gui.yml: UI customization.
   • storage.yml: Data backend settings.
   • effects/: Individual effect files.
   • languages/: Translation files.
4. Configuration: Open the generated files and adjust settings to your liking. (See the Configuration Guide for details).
5. Reload: Run /beaconplus reload to apply any changes.

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3. Proactive Troubleshooting & Tips

"Plugin will not enable"

• Check Java Version: If you see "UnsupportedClassVersionError", you are running an outdated version of Java. Update to Java 17+.
• Check Logs: BeaconPlus prints detailed error messages if a configuration file has a YAML syntax error (e.g., a missing colon or bad indentation).

"Eco upgrades aren't working"

• Vault Dependency: Ensure Vault is successfully loaded. Run /plugins – if Vault is red, check if you have a compatible economy plugin installed.

"Beacons aren't tracking"

• World Compatibility: Ensure your world names don't contain special characters or spaces. While supported, they can sometimes cause issues with certain storage backends.

Proactive Best Practice: The "Dry Run"

If you are planning a massive customized configuration, test it on a local "Sandbox" server first. Copying and pasting large YAML configurations into a live server can sometimes lead to unexpected behavior if there are typos.

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4. Initial Economy Choice

During your first setup, decide your primary economy.

• If you want a Survival feel: Use Level or Exp.
• If you want a Server Shop feel: Use Vault.
• If you want a Premium feel: Use PlayerPoints.

Note: You can change this at any time, but doing so after players have started upgrading might cause confusion if costs shift from one currency to another.