Install and First Boot

Use this page when you are setting MCWAR Airdrops up from the current source tree for the first time.

Current runtime target

The current source in this workspace targets:

• Paper 1.21.10+
• Java 21
• plugin version 2.1.35

That matters because the old README still talks about a 1.15.2-era baseline. The loot content may still come from older servers, but the current codebase is the Paper 1.21.x modernized build.

Basic install flow

1. Build the jar from the current source tree.
2. Drop the jar into plugins/.
3. Start the server once.
4. Let the plugin load and confirm /airdrop help works.
5. Stop the server before serious config work.

Files that matter immediately

The main files you will work with are:

• plugins/MCWAR-Airdrops/config.yml
• plugins/MCWAR-Airdrops/crateTypes.yml

You may also see:

• plugins/MCWAR-Airdrops/pending-cleanup.yml
• plugins/MCWAR-Airdrops/migration-reports/

The cleanup file matters after crashes or forced restarts. The migration reports matter when you normalize or modernize crateTypes.yml.

First boot checklist

Confirm the command is live

The plugin registers:

• /airdrop

If /airdrop help does not respond, stop there and fix startup before you touch YAML.

Confirm the admin permission path

The current plugin exposes one top-level admin permission:

mcwar.airdrops.admin

By default it is op only.

Test one clean spawn

Use:

/airdrop status
/airdrop spawnhere

That tells you very quickly whether:

• crate types loaded
• at least one crate is enabled
• the world and spawn logic are valid
• the display entities are visible

Test reload before live editing

Use:

/airdrop reload

If reload works cleanly before you start major edits, you have a much safer live workflow later.

Good first edits

Before you start reworking loot tables, review these areas first:

• general.enabledWorlds
• general.onlyOneActiveDrop
• interactions.crate.*
• scheduler.*
• effects.viewRange.default
• cleanup.*

Those settings control whether the plugin feels stable on a live server. Loot tuning comes second.

If you are migrating from a legacy MCWAR setup

Treat the legacy loot tables as content, not as the runtime standard.

The safer order is:

1. Boot the current plugin cleanly on Paper 1.21.x.
2. Validate the current config.yml.
3. Migrate or merge crate reward content into the current crateTypes.yml.
4. Use /airdrop migrate and the admin GUI to normalize and inspect the result.

After install

Once the plugin boots cleanly, move into:

• core Config and Runtime
• crate Types, File Structure, and Crate Families
• commands, Permissions, and Admin Workflows