Curse

Welcome to the latest Minecraft Plugin Spotlight! In this week's issue we are featuring "CreativeGates", a plugin created by Cayorion.

This is certainly not the first plugin to add the ability for players to build their own teleportation gates, so what makes this one so special? Rather than sticking to a predefined shape players can give their imagination free rein and build any kind of gate they want!

The only requirement is that a diamond block has to be placed at the bottom of the frame; the rest is up to the builder. After finishing the gate all that has to be done to activate it is hitting the diamond block with a clock, when water starts flowing through the opening the gate is ready to go.

Also worth mentioning is the user-friendliness of this plugin; no commands are required to make use of it. Simply walk through a portal to teleport to the next one. They are connected in a circular form; the first gate leads to the second one, the second one to the third and so on, the last portal leads back to the first one.

In order to connect gates their frame has to be made from the same material, size or shape will not be taken into account. Up to five portals of the same material can be connected to each other. You can even use more than one material; just make sure all materials are present in the other gates as well.

The plugin can also be used to travel between different worlds. However, if you would like to make use of this feature, make sure the server is running a multiworld plugin, such as Multiverse.

If you're looking for an easy to use alternative to the regular warp system and other portal plugins, be sure to give CreativeGates a try! The plugin offers a very innovative portal system that is only limited by the players' imagination.

 Finally, we also had the chance to do an interview with Cayorion. Read it below to find out more about the development of this plugin!

What was your inspiration for creating this mod?
I wanted the plugin for my own server MassiveCraft.com

Minecraft is all about creativity and the existing portal plugins used predefined gate designs. I wanted a more creative portal plugin. It should be easy to use and aimed to be used by regular players as opposed to server owners. At the time there were no such plugin so I created one myself.

Approximately how much time went into developing CreativeGates so far?
Somewhere between 30h and 80h. I don't really remember. I've been coding minecraft plugins regularly for a year now and CreativeGates was one of the first I created.

Did you come across any challenges while working on your mod?
Sure, there were problems to solve. Coding is all about the challenge in problem solving
For example:

• Creating a flood fill algorithm for detection of the portal-gate-frame.
• How to save gates on server shutdown.
• Protecting gates from creeper-explosions.

What tools have you used to create your mod and what purpose did each serve?
Eclipse is the IDE I use for java coding.
Notepad++ has a great macro feature I use all the time for repetitive copy-pasting.
GitHub for collaboration, history logs and backup.

Have you learned anything new from creating this mod?
Plugins does not need to be complex. Very simple plugins can be useful and become popular.

What part of the development process of CreativeGates did you enjoy most?
Writing the Java code.

And what is your favourite part of the mod itself?
That gates with the same materials in the frame link together. This way even connecting gates to eachother is done in a creative manner. Thanks to that idea I could keep the plugin completely command-free.

Are you working on any other mods or updates at the moment?
I sure do :) Most noticeably these two:
http://massivecraft.com/plugins/vampire
http://massivecraft.com/plugins/factions

Besides Minecraft, have you ever created any mods/plugins/add-ons/maps for other games?
No, not really.

Do you have any advice for other potential mod authors?
Code together with other plugin developers if possible. If you don't have the time to keep the plugin up to date yourself, your friend may.

Many thanks to Cayorion for creating this plugin and for participating in our interview!