Install and First Boot

Use this page when you are putting CriticalHealthFX on a server for the first time.

Requirements

CriticalHealthFX is built around modern Paper 1.21.x and Java 21.

• Paper 1.21.x is the intended runtime
• Java 21 is required
• Spigot can load the plugin, but the per-player red vignette depends on the Paper WorldBorder API

If your goal is the full red edge effect, run Paper.

Basic install flow

1. Stop the server.
2. Place the CriticalHealthFX.jar file in plugins/.
3. Start the server once so the plugin creates its folder and default config.
4. Watch console for the startup summary line.
5. Stop the server again before making serious changes in YAML.

What first boot creates

The public file that matters most is:

• plugins/CriticalHealthFX/config.yml

The plugin also loads its command and permission metadata from plugin.yml, but that ships inside the jar rather than as a file you edit in the data folder.

The startup line you want to see

CriticalHealthFX logs one clean summary line on enable with:

• plugin name and version
• author duq_
• example server mcwar.co
• detected Minecraft version
• current threshold
• scan cadence

That banner is the fastest way to confirm the build actually loaded.

Legacy folder migration

Current builds also check for older data folders such as:

• plugins/MCWAR-CriticalHealthFX
• plugins/MCWAR-CriticalHealthFx

If the new data folder is missing a config.yml and one of those older folders has it, the plugin will copy that config into the current folder on startup.

First boot checklist

Confirm the command works

Run:

/chfx status

If the command does not exist, the plugin did not load correctly.

Open the GUI once

Run:

/chfx gui

That confirms the admin surface is available and the inventory pages are registering cleanly.

Validate the shipped defaults

The default MCWAR curve should feel like this:

• light red starts at 10.0 HP, which is 5 hearts
• the red edge becomes very strong at 2.0 HP, which is 1 heart
• blackout starts only at 1.0 HP, which is half a heart
• heartbeat speeds up as health drops
• frost can pulse in configured cold biomes while the player is hurt enough

Test on a player account

Use:

/chfx test on

That forces the effect loop on your own account so you can verify visuals without repeatedly damaging yourself during setup.

Turn it back off with:

/chfx test off

Good first edits

Before you go deep into tiers, review these first:

• critical_threshold_hp
• warning_blocks
• heartbeat.sound
• heartbeat.volume
• overlays.blackout.min_hp
• overlays.frost.min_hp

That gets the overall feel close before you start fine-tuning every tier.

After first boot

Once the plugin loads cleanly, move into:

• commands, Permissions, and Admin Workflow
• config YML: Thresholds, Scan Cadence, and Border Vignette
• gui Main Pages, Chat Prompts, and Save Flow