Version: 3.1.8 b517
Okay, so my browser refreshed, which means about 30 minutes of writing gone. But I will persevere with this review.
This plugin is one of the best mob levelling plugins for Minecraft that I have come across. It works for both small-scale servers if you're just looking to spice things up, and for large-scale implementations if you're looking to revamp the mob fighting experience for your playerbase.
Here are some nice points about this plugin:
- Flexibility. There are a lot of options to choose from, and a lot of settings that you can change and tweak to your liking. Of course, out of the box, this plugin just works for most uses. However, if you have something different in mind, it is entirely possible to just change some things in the configuration. Chances are, the behavior you want is in the files somewhere, waiting to be discovered by you. Want mobs to be levelled based on how far players are from spawn? That's very much possible. How about based on how deep you are in a cave system? Also easily possible. How about a blend of the two? Yep, also possible (the two settings sit literally on top of each other in the config files).
Something else that's sweet is the sheer amount of documentation made available to the user IN THE CONFIG FILES THEMSELVES. This means that you don't have to guess and make trips to the docs to understand what every single little thing means; it is already there, conveniently above the setting you want to change. Points for accessibility and ease of use.
- Compatibility. Since the plugin levels mobs as soon as they spawn, plugins that affect mob spawning behavior will automatically be compatible with this one. Whether the mobs spawned in naturally, by spawner, or by command, they are automatically levelled (also configurable). This is no joke; even custom mobs from plugins like MythicMobs are levelled (though you can disable this function too, if, like me, you don't want them to be levelled).
This really removes a lot of the roadblocks and headaches in server management when it comes to plugins not playing nice with each other. Of course, there are still some limitations (like with mob stackers, as one of the devs told me when I asked for support), but what plugin doesn't have those? For me, the things this plugin offers you far outweigh this problem.
- Customizability. I have given many examples of how this plugin can be customized to your needs, but there is still so much to cover. You can change mob drops, equipment, and even names based on factors like their level, the biomes they are in, or just simply what mob they are. This allows for some interesting mechanics, especially for RPG servers with lots of backstory and lore. It can also make things much more interesting for players. You can essentially create a custom mob (just not with custom skills, I don't think) that players would have to seek out on a per-level or per-biome basis, or possibly other factors, that they otherwise would not even see in regular ol' Minecraft mobs.
- Efficiency. This plugin runs really well on servers. I once did a Timings report due to strange lag, and LevelledMobs had some really respectable resource usage numbers. If you are experiencing lag in your server and you have this installed, chances are it's another plugin or player (it was a player for me).
- Versatility. In my time using this plugin, I found that this can also be used as a mob farm limiter of sorts, at least for higher levels. Since mobs with higher levels most likely have larger health pools, they are much harder to kill. This introduces tediousness into the otherwise "smooth sailing" that a player experiences after their hard work building a mob farm, and might just be enough to discourage large scale farms for the purpose of farming the rare custom loot you set up and the greater EXP drops.
- Support. This plugin has amazing support. Not kidding. The devs reply really fast (like, really fast) on the Discord server compared to other plugins' support (below a minute), and can provide an answer and a solution to your problem. Of course, there are some problems that are out of their scope, but what is impressive is how they still try to help people a bit despite that. They are also very friendly and approachable. They **may** even chat with you for a bit about stuff.
All in all, this is a well-made and fleshed-out plugin that is rich in features, compatibility, and support. The variety it brings to your server is just too good to pass up, with you focusing more on customizing than troubleshooting it if you decide to change something to your liking. Even then, if you do run into trouble, the devs are just a chat away.
Seriously. Get this plugin. You won't regret it.
To the devs: this is an awesome job you did with the plugin! Thanks for all your hard work and for bringing this to life for all of us to enjoy, for FREE might I add. I hope you all have amazing meals forever. Also an amazing life. xD
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This is easily the most thoughtful and descriptive review I have ever seen on my time on the Spigot platform!
PenalBuffalo, UltimaOath and I are ultimately grateful that you took the time to write this for our resource, even after your browser decided otherwise.
Reviews keep us going. And then there's yours, which I never would have expected to receive.
Again, we are tremendously grateful. :)
Please feel free to contact us at anytime. All the best for your life + server!
~ lokka30