Medieval Factions - User Guide

This guide provides step-by-step instructions for common scenarios and getting started with Medieval Factions.

Table of Contents

• Getting Started
• Common Scenarios
  • Creating Your First Faction
  • Joining an Existing Faction
  • Claiming Your First Territory
  • Who Can Do What in a Claim
  • Inviting Members
  • Setting Up Faction Roles
  • Forming an Alliance
  • Declaring War
  • Establishing a Vassalage
  • Creating and Using Gates
  • Locking Important Blocks
  • Managing Faction Laws
  • Configuring Faction Settings
• Advanced Features
• Tips and Best Practices
• Troubleshooting

Getting Started

Understanding the Basics

Medieval Factions allows you to:

• Create or join factions - Groups of players working together
• Claim territory - Protect land from other players
• Engage in diplomacy - Form alliances, declare wars, establish vassalages
• Build a community - Invite members, assign roles, create laws
• Customize your faction - Set colors, flags, and permissions

Key Concepts

Power System:

• Every player has power that regenerates over time
• Power is lost when you die and gained when you kill others
• Faction power = sum of all member power + bonus power
• You need power to claim land (each chunk requires power)

Territory:

• Land is divided into chunks (16x16 block areas)
• Factions claim chunks to protect them
• Claimed land prevents other factions from building or breaking blocks
• Your faction can only claim as much land as it has power

Relationships:

• Neutral - Default relationship with other factions
• Allied - Friendly factions that may share permissions
• At War - Hostile factions in active conflict
• Vassal/Liege - Feudal hierarchy relationships

Common Scenarios

Creating Your First Faction

Goal: Establish your own faction and become its leader.

Steps:

1. Choose a faction name (up to 20 characters by default):

   /faction create [YourFactionName]
   /f create MyKingdom

2. Verify creation - You should see a confirmation message that your faction was created.

3. Set a description (optional but recommended):

   /f set description "A peaceful kingdom focused on building and trade"

4. Choose your faction color:

   /f flag set color #4169E1

5. View your faction info:

   /f info

What's Next:

• Start claiming territory near your base
• Invite friends to join your faction
• Set up roles and permissions

Joining an Existing Faction

Goal: Become a member of an established faction.

Methods:

Method 1: Direct Invitation

1. Receive an invitation from a faction leader or officer:

   • The inviter uses: /f invite YourName
   • You'll receive a notification

2. Accept the invitation:

   /f join [FactionName]

3. Verify your membership:

   /f info

Method 2: Application System

1. Find a faction you want to join:

   /f list

2. Submit an application:

   /apply [FactionName]
   /apply TheKingdom

3. To cancel your application (if you change your mind):

   /apply [FactionName] cancel
   /apply TheKingdom cancel

4. Wait for approval - Faction officers will review your application.

5. If approved, you'll be automatically added to the faction.

Method 3: Force Join (Op/Admin Only)

Operators can force join any faction:

/f join [FactionName]

After Joining:

• Review faction laws: /f law list
• Check your role: /f info
• Ask about faction Discord or chat
• Learn faction rules and expectations

Claiming Your First Territory

Goal: Protect your base by claiming chunks.

Before You Start:

• Check your faction's power: /f power
• Make sure you have enough power to claim (typically 1 power per chunk)
• Stand in the chunk you want to claim

Steps:

Single Chunk Claim

1. Stand in the chunk you want to claim (move around to ensure you're in the right spot).

2. Claim the chunk:

   /f claim

3. Verify the claim:

   /f checkclaim

Claiming Multiple Chunks

Option 1: Radius Claim

Claim multiple chunks in a square area:

/f claim [radius]
/f claim 2  (claims a 5x5 chunk area)

Option 2: Auto-Claim

Automatically claim chunks as you walk:

/f claim auto

• Walk through the area you want to claim
• Toggle it off when done: /f claim auto

Option 3: Fill Claim

Fill unclaimed gaps surrounded by your claims:

/f claim fill

Setting Your Faction Home

1. Stand where you want your home (must be in claimed territory):

   /f sethome

2. Teleport to your home anytime:

   /f home

Unclaiming Land

If you need to unclaim:

/f unclaim          (single chunk)
/f unclaim 2        (radius)
/f unclaimall       (all claims - requires confirmation)

Tips:

• Claim strategically - create a buffer zone around your important structures
• Claim contiguously if server requires it (contiguousClaims in config)
• Remember: you lose claims if faction power drops too low

Who Can Claim and Unclaim

• Only a member whose faction role has the CLAIM permission can claim land for the faction, and only one whose role has UNCLAIM can unclaim it. The faction owner has both; the default Member role has neither, so an ordinary member is refused until the owner grants them (/f role setpermission Member CLAIM allow, see Setting Up Faction Roles).
• Players in no faction can neither claim nor unclaim land.
• Land another faction has claimed cannot be claimed while that faction has the power to hold it. This applies to allies, to factions you are not at war with, and to factions you are at war with alike. Taking enemy land (overclaiming) is possible only during a war, and only when the owner's power is no more than the number of chunks it would still hold afterwards.
• /f unclaim only removes your own faction's land. Standing in another faction's claim, it is refused, whatever your relationship to that faction.
• A server operator with the mf.bypass permission who has turned on /f bypass can unclaim any faction's land.
• The rules above are for players. Administrators have two exceptions: with mf.force.claim, /f claim <faction> claims land for the named faction, and with mf.force.unclaim, /f unclaim <faction> removes the named faction's land. Neither needs membership of that faction or a role permission (see COMMANDS.md).

Who Can Do What in a Claim

With the default configuration, these rules apply in land a faction has claimed:

• Members of the faction can build, break blocks and use blocks (chests, doors, buttons and the like) in its claims.
• Everyone else is refused and told why: members of other factions, members of a faction at war with it, and players in no faction cannot build, break or use blocks in its claims.
• Allies are refused too. An alliance alone gives no access to land; allies can build, break and use blocks only after the owning faction turns on the alliesCanInteractWithLand flag, which is off by default (see FACTION_FLAGS.md).
• Being at war gives no access either, except to ladders (factions.laddersPlaceableInEnemyFactionTerritory) and to the blocks the server lists in the factions.wartime... options, which are empty by default (see CONFIG.md).
• Non-members also cannot set fire, use bone meal, place item frames, armour stands or end crystals, or right-click blocks, even with an empty hand.
• Throwing an item while looking at a block in another faction's claim still works: snowballs, eggs, bottles o' enchanting, and splash and lingering potions are thrown, but the block itself is not used (a potion thrown at a chest does not open it).
• Doors, trapdoors and fence gates follow factions.nonMembersCanInteractWithDoors, and entities (item frames, armour stands, minecarts and the like) follow factions.nonMembersCanInteractWithEntities. Both are off by default, so non-members cannot use them. Trading with villagers is the exception: it follows the owning faction's protectVillagerTrade flag instead.
• A server operator with the mf.bypass permission who has turned on /f bypass can do all of the above in any claim, and is warned each time.
• Locked blocks have their own rules on top of these; see Locking Important Blocks.

These rules are checked by bots on a real server before each release; the observed results are in BEHAVIOUR.md.

Inviting Members

Goal: Grow your faction by inviting trusted players.

Prerequisites:

• You must have permission to invite (usually leader or officer role)
• The player must be online

Steps:

1. Send an invitation:

   /f invite [PlayerName]
   /f invite Steve

2. The player receives a notification and can accept with:

   /f join [YourFactionName]

3. Verify they joined:

   /f members

4. Assign them a role (if needed):

   /f role set [PlayerName] [RoleName]
   /f role set Steve Member

Managing Members:

• View all members: /f members
• View a player's faction: /f who PlayerName
• Remove a member: /f kick PlayerName
• Change member role: /f role set PlayerName NewRole

Best Practices:

• Have a vetting process (interviews, trial periods)
• Clearly communicate faction rules and expectations
• Assign appropriate roles based on trust level
• Keep track of member activity
• Have a policy for inactive members

Setting Up Faction Roles

Goal: Create a hierarchy with different permission levels.

Default Roles: A new faction has three roles. New members get the Member role.

• Member - only the faction permissions that are on by default for every role: going to the faction home, inviting players, listing the laws, members and roles, viewing the flags, the faction's info and stats, and the faction chat history. Everything else is refused until the role is granted it, including claiming and unclaiming land, setting the home, adding, editing or removing laws, requesting alliances, declaring war, setting flags, renaming the faction, managing roles, vassalizing, kicking members, unclaiming all land and disbanding.
• Officer - the Member role's permissions, plus requesting alliances, declaring war, making peace, setting the faction home, kicking members, creating roles, approving and denying applications, and managing the Member role.
• Owner - every faction permission except bypassing locks (BYPASS_LOCKS) and toggling autounclaim (TOGGLE_AUTOUNCLAIM), which must be granted explicitly.

Permission names are upper case and must be given exactly, for example CLAIM, INVITE or ADD_LAW; /f role setpermission Member claim allow is refused as an invalid permission.

Creating Custom Roles:

1. Create a new role:

   /f role create [RoleName]
   /f role create Guard

2. Set permissions for the role:

   /f role setpermission [RoleName] [Permission] [allow/deny/default]
   /f role setpermission Guard CLAIM allow
   /f role setpermission Guard INVITE deny
   /f role setpermission Guard KICK deny

3. Assign players to the role:

   /f role set [PlayerName] [RoleName]
   /f role set Alex Guard

Common Role Structures:

Basic Structure:

• Leader - Full control
• Officer - Most permissions
• Member - Basic permissions
• Recruit - Limited permissions

Advanced Structure:

• Leader - Full control
• Council - Strategic decisions
• General - Military operations
• Builder - Construction permissions
• Recruit - Trial members

Useful Commands:

• View all roles: /f role list
• View role details: /f role view [RoleName]
• Rename a role: /f role rename [OldName] [NewName]
• Delete a role: /f role delete [RoleName]
• Set default role for new members: /f role setdefault [RoleName]

Forming an Alliance

Goal: Establish friendly relations with another faction.

Steps:

1. Identify a potential ally - Find a faction with compatible goals:

   /f list
   /f who [PlayerName]

2. Contact the faction - Coordinate through chat or messaging.

3. Send alliance request:

   /f ally [FactionName]
   /f ally TheKingdom

4. The other faction accepts by running the same command:

   /f ally [YourFactionName]

5. Verify the alliance:

   /f info

After Forming an Alliance:

1. Configure alliance permissions (optional):

   /f flag set alliesCanInteractWithLand true

2. Use ally chat:

   /f chat allies

   • Type your message
   • Toggle off to return to normal chat

3. Coordinate strategy - Discuss common enemies, trade, shared projects.

Breaking an Alliance:

If relations deteriorate:

/f breakalliance [FactionName]

Alliance Tips:

• Establish clear terms (defense pacts, trade agreements, etc.)
• Communicate regularly
• Help allies in wars if you have a defense pact
• Be careful about land permissions - don't allow griefing
• Document alliance terms in faction laws or external documents

Declaring War

Goal: Enter into armed conflict with another faction.

Before Declaring War:

1. Check server PVP rules - Some servers require wars for PVP between factions.

2. Assess the situation:

   • Check enemy faction power: /f power [FactionName]
   • Review enemy claims: /f map
   • Coordinate with faction members and allies

3. Prepare for war:

   • Stockpile resources
   • Fortify defenses
   • Rally faction members
   • Secure valuables

Declaring War:

/f declarewar [EnemyFactionName]
/f declarewar TheEmpire

During Wartime:

1. Coordinate with faction members - Use faction chat:

   /f chat faction

2. Invoke allies (if you have defense pacts):

   /f invoke [AllyFaction] [EnemyFaction]
   /f invoke TheKingdom TheEmpire

3. Strategic considerations:

   • Reduce enemy faction power by defeating their members
   • Protect your faction power by avoiding deaths
   • If enemy power drops low enough, you may be able to claim their land
   • If enabled, destroy blocks in enemy territory during war

Ending the War:

Option 1: Make Peace

1. Send peace request:

   /f makepeace [EnemyFaction]

2. Enemy faction accepts by running the same command:

   /f makepeace [YourFaction]

Option 2: Complete Victory

If enemy faction is disbanded or surrenders, war ends automatically.

Post-War:

• Rebuild damaged structures
• Review what worked and what didn't
• Strengthen defenses for future conflicts
• Consider new alliances or strategies

Establishing a Vassalage

Goal: Create a feudal relationship where one faction serves another.

Understanding Vassalage:

• Liege - The superior faction receiving tribute/service
• Vassal - The subordinate faction owing allegiance
• Vassals contribute a percentage of their power to their liege
• Creates a hierarchical structure

Becoming a Liege (Receiving a Vassal):

1. Send vassalization request to another faction:

   /f vassalize [FactionName]
   /f vassalize SmallTown

2. The other faction accepts using:

   /f swearfealty [YourFactionName]

3. Verify the relationship:

   /f info

Becoming a Vassal (Serving a Liege):

1. Receive vassalization request from another faction.

2. Accept the request:

   /f swearfealty [LiegeFactionName]
   /f swearfealty TheEmpire

3. Understand your obligations:

   • Contribute power to your liege (percentage configurable)
   • May be called to support liege in wars
   • Subject to liege's influence

Managing Vassalage:

Configure land permissions:

/f flag set vassalageTreeCanInteractWithLand true  (for lieges)
/f flag set liegeChainCanInteractWithLand true    (for vassals)

As a Liege:

• Grant independence to a vassal: /f grantindependence [VassalName]
• Coordinate with vassals using vassal chat: /f chat vassals

As a Vassal:

• Declare independence (triggers war): /f declareindependence

Vassalage Tips:

• Clearly define the terms of vassalage
• Lieges should protect and support their vassals
• Vassals should contribute military support when needed
• Consider creating multi-tier hierarchies (vassals with sub-vassals)
• Document obligations in faction laws

Creating and Using Gates

Goal: Build a gate that can be opened and closed on command.

Prerequisites:

• Permission to create gates: mf.gate (default: true)
• Claimed territory to build in
• Materials for the gate

Creating a Gate:

1. Build your gate structure:

   • Must be at least 3 blocks high (configurable)
   • Maximum 64 blocks (configurable)
   • Cannot use restricted blocks (sand, gravel, torches, etc.)
   • Cannot use blocks that hold contents or data (chests, barrels, hoppers, furnaces, shulker boxes, signs, banners, etc.): opening the gate would destroy what they hold
   • Blocks must be in their default orientation (for example bottom stairs facing north, bottom slabs, upright logs), because a gate puts its blocks back that way when it closes; iron bars, fences, panes and walls are fine, since their connections follow their neighbours
   • Can be any shape (wall, door, portcullis, etc.)

2. Start gate creation:

   /gate create

3. Select gate blocks:

   • Right-click each block you want in the gate
   • The blocks will be highlighted/marked
   • Select all blocks that should move together

4. Finish selection when all blocks are selected.

5. Verify creation - You should receive a confirmation message.

Using a Gate:

• Toggle the gate by right-clicking any gate block
• The gate will open (blocks disappear) or close (blocks reappear)
• Only faction members can toggle gates
• Gates can be controlled with redstone (if enabled in config)

Removing a Gate:

1. Stand next to the gate you want removed, in the same world as it.

2. Run the command:

   /gate remove

   Your faction's nearest gate is removed immediately. There is no click step and no confirmation prompt, so make sure you are standing by the right gate before running it. Nothing is removed if the nearest one is further away than the removal distance (default: 12 blocks) or is in another world.

Cancelling Gate Creation:

If you make a mistake:

/gate cancel

Gate Tips:

• Test your gate before relying on it for defense
• Build gate houses or control rooms for security
• Use gates for main entrances, secret passages, or defensive walls
• Maximum gates per faction is configurable (default: 5)
• Gates are great for roleplay and aesthetic builds

Common Gate Designs:

• Castle gates (large entrance)
• Portcullis (vertical bars)
• Hidden doors (secret passages)
• Drawbridges (over moat)
• Fence gates (perimeter control)

Locking Important Blocks

Goal: Protect valuable blocks (chests, doors, furnaces) from other faction members and outsiders.

What Can Be Locked:

• Chests
• Doors
• Furnaces
• Hoppers
• Brewing stands
• Most interactive blocks

Locking Blocks:

1. Enable lock mode:

   /lock

2. Right-click the block you want to lock.

3. Verify the lock - You should see a confirmation message.

4. Exit lock mode (optional):

   /lock cancel

Unlocking Blocks:

1. Enable unlock mode:

   /unlock

2. Right-click the locked block you want to unlock.

3. Verify unlock - You should see a confirmation message.

4. Exit unlock mode (optional):

   /unlock cancel

Managing Access:

View who can access a locked block:

1. Enable list mode: /accessors list
2. Right-click the locked block

Grant access to someone:

1. Enable add mode: /accessors add
2. Right-click the locked block
3. Right-click the player to grant access to

Revoke access:

1. Enable remove mode: /accessors remove
2. Right-click the locked block
3. Right-click the player to revoke access from

Who can open and break a locked block:

• Only the player who locked the block and the players on its access list can open it. This holds inside a claim too: an accessor from another faction, such as an ally, can open the block even though they cannot use anything else in the claim.
• Everyone else is refused, including other members of the faction that owns the claim.
• A server operator with the mf.bypass permission who has turned on /f bypass can open any locked block, and is warned. So can a player whose faction role has the BYPASS_LOCKS permission.
• Only the player who locked the block can break it, which also removes the lock. Other players are refused, unless they have mf.force.unlock and could break blocks at that spot anyway (for example as a member of the owning faction, or with /f bypass on).

Lock Tips:

• Lock your personal chests to prevent faction member theft
• Lock important doors to control access
• Lock furnaces and brewing stands in shared areas
• Grant access to trusted faction members
• Use locks for role-based access control (officers only, etc.)
• Admins can force unlock blocks with mf.force.unlock

Managing Faction Laws

Goal: Establish rules and regulations for your faction.

Adding Laws:

/f law add [Law Text]
/f law add "No griefing faction members"
/f law add "Help defend faction territory when online"
/f law add "Donate 10% of resources to faction storage"

Viewing Laws:

/f law list

This displays all laws with their ID numbers.

Removing Laws:

/f law remove [ID]
/f law remove 3

Law System Tips:

• Number your laws for easy reference
• Keep laws clear and concise
• Update laws as faction evolves
• Use laws for:
  • Behavioral rules
  • Resource contribution requirements
  • Conflict resolution procedures
  • Promotion criteria
  • Building guidelines
• Enforce laws consistently
• Consider creating categories (military laws, building laws, etc.)

Example Law Sets:

Basic Faction:

1. Respect all faction members
2. No stealing from faction members
3. Help defend territory when possible
4. Follow officer instructions during conflicts

Advanced Faction:

1. Attend mandatory faction meetings
2. Contribute 15% of resources to faction vault
3. Report enemy sightings immediately
4. Builds must follow architectural guidelines
5. Resolve disputes through faction tribunal
6. Inactive for 30 days = automatic removal

Configuring Faction Settings

Goal: Customize your faction's behavior and appearance.

Basic Settings:

Change Faction Name:

/f set name [NewName]
/f set name "The Grand Empire"

Set Description:

/f set description [Description]
/f set description "A peaceful trading faction"

Set Prefix:

/f set prefix [TAG]
/f set prefix [GE]

Faction Flags:

View all available flags and their values:

/f flag list

Set a flag:

/f flag set [FlagName] [Value]

Common Flag Configurations:

Peaceful/Trade Faction:

/f flag set neutral true
/f flag set color #32CD32
/f flag set alliesCanInteractWithLand true
/f flag set protectVillagerTrade false

Military Faction:

/f flag set neutral false
/f flag set allowFriendlyFire true
/f flag set color #8B0000
/f flag set alliesCanInteractWithLand false

Protective/Private Faction:

/f flag set neutral false
/f flag set alliesCanInteractWithLand false
/f flag set enableMobProtection true
/f flag set protectVillagerTrade true
/f flag set acceptBonusPower false

See FACTION_FLAGS.md for complete flag documentation.

Advanced Features

Faction Chat Channels

Toggle between chat modes:

/f chat faction  - Talk only to faction members
/f chat vassals  - Talk to vassals and liege
/f chat allies   - Talk to allied factions

Toggle back to normal chat by running the command again.

Power Management

Understanding power is crucial:

• View your power: /f power
• View faction power: /f power [FactionName]
• Power regenerates over time (configurable)
• Power lost on death, gained on kills
• Total faction power = sum of member power + bonus power

Mapping and Territory

View Territory Map:

/f map          - Normal view
/f map normal   - Normal view
/f map diplomatic - Shows relationships

The map uses characters to represent:

• Your faction
• Allied factions
• Enemy factions
• Neutral factions
• Wilderness

Dueling System

Challenge players to honor duels:

/duel challenge [PlayerName]  - Send challenge
/duel accept [PlayerName]     - Accept challenge
/duel cancel [PlayerName]     - Decline/cancel

Duels are time-limited and notify nearby players.

While a duel lasts:

• The two duelists can hurt each other even where faction rules would stop them, for example when they are in the same faction or in factions that are not at war.
• Nobody else can hit either duelist, in melee or with a projectile such as an arrow, and a duelist cannot hit anyone else; the attacker is told that one of them is in a duel. Splash and lingering potions are the exception: between a duelist and someone outside the duel they follow the normal faction rules, as if there were no duel.

Applications System

For Players:

• Apply to factions: /apply [FactionName]
• Cancel application: /apply [FactionName] cancel

For Faction Officers:

• View applications: /showapps
• Approve application: /approveapp [PlayerName]
• Deny application: /denyapp [PlayerName]

Tips and Best Practices

Starting Out

1. Start small - Don't claim too much land initially
2. Build in claimed territory - Protect your base
3. Join or create carefully - Research factions before committing
4. Learn the commands - Use /f help frequently
5. Understand power - It's the key resource

Growing Your Faction

1. Recruit strategically - Quality over quantity
2. Establish clear rules - Use the law system
3. Create a hierarchy - Assign meaningful roles
4. Claim efficiently - Use claim fill and auto-claim
5. Build community - Use faction chat, Discord, etc.

Diplomacy

1. Communicate clearly - Document agreements
2. Honor commitments - Build reputation
3. Be strategic - Form alliances that benefit your goals
4. Stay informed - Use /f list and /f who regularly
5. Prepare for conflict - Even in peace, be ready for war

Defense

1. Fortify borders - Build walls and defenses
2. Use gates wisely - Control entry points
3. Lock valuables - Protect important items
4. Keep power high - Encourage member activity
5. Watch for spies - Be careful who you trust

Resource Management

1. Build communal storage - Shared resources help everyone
2. Lock personal chests - Prevent internal theft
3. Contribute to faction - Everyone benefits from cooperation
4. Track faction bank - If using economy plugins
5. Plan big projects - Coordinate resource gathering

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

"You don't have enough power to claim this chunk"

• Solution: Increase faction power by adding members or waiting for power regeneration
• Check current power: /f power

"This land is already claimed"

• Solution: Use /f checkclaim to see who owns it
• Try claiming adjacent unclaimed land
• View map: /f map

"You don't have permission to do that"

• Solution: Check your role permissions
• Ask a faction officer or leader to adjust your role: /f role set

"You are not in a faction"

• Solution: Create a faction (/f create) or join one (/f join)
• Check if you were kicked: /f who YourName

Can't teleport to faction home

• Solution: Make sure you're not moving during the delay
• Check that faction home is set: /f sethome in claimed territory
• Ensure you have permission to use /f home

Gate not working

• Solution: Verify gate was created properly
• Check you're within interaction range
• Ensure blocks aren't obstructed
• Verify you're a faction member

Lock not working

• Solution: Make sure you're the lock owner or have access
• Use /accessors list to check access list
• Try unlocking and re-locking: /unlock then /lock

Getting Help

1. In-game help: /f help
2. Server staff: Ask moderators or admins
3. Documentation: Read COMMANDS.md, CONFIG.md, FACTION_FLAGS.md
4. Support Discord: Check README.md for Discord link
5. Bug reports: Submit issues on GitHub

Additional Resources

• Commands Reference - Complete list of all commands
• FAQ - Answers to frequently asked questions
• Configuration Guide - Server configuration options
• Faction Flags - Detailed flag documentation
• GitHub Repository - Source code and issues
• SpigotMC Page - Plugin downloads and updates

Welcome to Medieval Factions! Build your empire, forge alliances, and create your own medieval story!