Install and First Boot

This page is for the person who already has the Vehicle MC jar and wants to bring it onto a live server cleanly.

The goal is not to author the whole garage on day one. The goal is to generate the files, confirm the runtime rules, and prove one believable vehicle loop before the platform expands.

What to check on the first boot

Your first review should be:

• config.yml
• vehicles.yml
• ui.yml
• catalog.yml
• fuel_tanks.yml if service stations matter on day one

That first check tells you:

• which modules are live
• whether the runtime cadence matches your server
• whether the default rig path is the one you want
• whether browse and driver-feedback surfaces are enabled
• whether fuel and repair belong in the first rollout or should wait

Bring the plugin online in layers

Vehicle MC is much easier to understand if you only enable the systems you plan to test first.

Example module layout:

modules:
  storage:
    enabled: true
  ui:
    enabled: true
  fx:
    enabled: true
  surfaces:
    enabled: true
  fuel:
    enabled: true
  combat:
    enabled: false
  weapons:
    enabled: false

That creates a clean civilian or transport-first boot:

• vehicles can store and redeploy
• bossbars and driver feedback can show
• terrain response can work
• fuel can exist if you want it
• armed-vehicle systems stay out of the way until the base fleet already works

Files that matter immediately

config.yml

open file guide

Use this to confirm:

• modules
• runtime cadence
• rig backend default
• pickup rules
• anti-dupe rules
• seat switching

vehicles.yml

open file guide

Use this to confirm:

• at least one usable starter vehicle exists
• seat and controller data look sane
• the base vehicle is not overloaded with unnecessary systems

ui.yml and messages.yml

open ui.yml guide
open messages.yml guide

These are the first places to look when:

• bars are too noisy
• players do not understand what the vehicle is doing
• the basic driving loop feels unclear

catalog.yml

open file guide

This matters early if staff or players should browse vehicles from a menu instead of only through command handoffs.

Safe first-boot checklist

Before you publish anything to normal players, confirm:

• the plugin loads without errors
• the files generate cleanly
• the modules match the features you actually want live
• one vehicle spawns and mounts correctly
• the bars and driver feedback render correctly
• pickup and storage rules behave the way your server expects

What does not belong on day one

Do not try to solve all of this at first boot:

• a full public catalog
• final rig polish for every family
• a giant fleet
• all fuel and repair stations across the map
• the Duck Shot bridge
• armed-vehicle loadouts

Start with one believable working vehicle loop, then scale outward.

Good first public test

A clean first live test usually means:

1. one ground vehicle
2. one variant of that vehicle
3. working entry and exit
4. readable HP or fuel feedback
5. safe pickup or storage behavior
6. optional fuel interaction if your server needs it immediately

If that loop already feels confusing, adding helicopters, tanks, or armed systems will only make the confusion bigger.

Recommended next pages

• free Starter Dirt Bike Quick Start and Upgrade Path
• core Config, Runtime, and Rig Backends
• vehicle YAML Authoring Order, File Splitting, and Starter Fleet Planning
• vehicle Families, Variants, Fuel, and World Service Systems
• runtime Modules, Physics, and Safety