Server starter packs

What these packs are#

A starter pack is a small plan and manifest, not a zip full of other people’s plugin jars. It tells you which official projects to download, why each one exists and what to configure first.

Download the starter pack manifest

Simple Friends SMP#

Best for: a private, familiar survival world.

• Paper
• EssentialsX for homes/TPA only if wanted
• CoreProtect for investigation and rollback
• Whitelist with online mode enabled
• Crafty scheduled backups
• Optional one-player sleep datapack from a trusted source

Skip for now: public ranks, a web map, Discord bridge and a proxy. Add them only when a real need appears.

Vanilla+ SMP#

Best for: mostly vanilla play with light quality-of-life.

• Paper with conservative settings
• A small, documented EssentialsX configuration
• LuckPerms only when different groups need different capabilities
• A limited datapack set
• CoreProtect and scheduled backups

Crossplay SMP#

Best for: Java friends plus phones, tablets or consoles using Bedrock.

• Paper
• Geyser-Spigot
• Floodgate when Bedrock-account access is desired
• ViaVersion only when the official Geyser support guide requires it for your Java server version
• Separate UDP reachability for the configured Bedrock port
• Whitelist procedure that understands Floodgate player names

Follow the crossplay setup

Performance server#

Best for: a busy vanilla-style world where measurement matters.

• Paper or deliberately configured Purpur
• spark for profiling
• Chunky or another verified pregenerator
• Conservative view and simulation distance
• Bounded map rendering, if used
• No automatic “clear lag” plugin

Modded Fabric server#

Best for: server-side Fabric improvements or a controlled Fabric pack.

• Fabric Loader
• Fabric API only when required
• Carefully verified current builds of Lithium, FerriteCore, ServerCore, Krypton or Alternate Current where compatible
• Matching client pack when any mod is not server-only
• Exported manifest with exact versions and official links

Compatibility changes by Minecraft release. Do not assume every optimization mod belongs together or supports the newest game version.

Public community server#

Best for: a server that accepts people beyond a close friend group.

• Paper/Purpur with a staging server for updates
• LuckPerms groups with least privilege
• CoreProtect logging and tested rollback
• Region protection where needed
• Moderation rules and appeal process
• Off-machine backups and restore drills
• Discord bridge with a narrowly privileged bot
• Monitoring, update notes and more than one trusted administrator

How to use a pack#

1. 1
   Open the manifest and choose one pack.
2. 2
   Visit every official project link yourself.
3. 3
   Select the exact game version and platform.
4. 4
   Record the file version beside the manifest entry.
5. 5
   Install one layer at a time and test it.
6. 6
   Keep the completed manifest with your backups.