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Starlog #1: SiegeWar Mechanics, Combat Tuning & Server Readiness

· 5 min read
Marsonus
Marsonus
Lead Developer

The combat is nearly finished. The server is more stable. SiegeWar is coming to the production server. The combat is nearly finished. The server is more stable. SiegeWar is coming to the production server.

PVP & Combat: The Foundation​

The entire combat system has been rebuilt.

The Loadout: DiaPot/SMP is King​

We're balanced around Diamond, not Netherite. That changes everything.

Why This Works:

  • Shields break in 3 hits from a diamond sword.
  • Milk applies a cleanse after drinking.
  • Most annoying vanilla & mcMMO debuffs (mining fatigue, blindness) are removed from combat.

Pearling: The Heart of HCF, Finally Fixed​

This took weeks. Huge thanks to @shinelko, @blue2492, and @mudfight for breaking it with me until it worked.

What's Working Now:

  • HCF Tali & Cross-Pearling: Works on azalea, enchanting tables, cauldrons, slabs, etc (includes every half block not allowed by vanilla).
  • All Major Glitches Patched: No more door/trap door/fence gate clipping, bubble column & slime stasis, half block wall phasing, or chunk loading exploits.
  • Towny Logic: Can pearl into enemy claims if combat tagged. Homeblocks with PvP disabled will be unpearlable unless combat tagged.
  • Pearl Clutching: Successful pearls will now reset accumulated fall damage just like 1.7/1.8 pearls.
  • Pearl Projectile Tagging: Pearls will now combat tag and do damage upon non-aligned players, including teleporting them to the current players location, exactly mimicing 1.8 HCF pearling.

This is the improved pearling mechanics since the old HCF days. It's smooth, predictable, and glitch-free.

Shields & KnockbackCD, Cleanses, and Exploit Fixes​

Shield Break Meta & Knockback Cooldown:

  • Diamond Sword: 3 hits successfully blocked
  • Axe Critical: Instant break (still the same as vanilla)
  • Knockback cooldowns are applied per player: 2 hits every 15 seconds

Milk & Debuff Balance:

  • Drinking milk applies a soft cleanse to debuffs and gives immunity until the cooldown expires
    • Normal debuffs: Reduced to 20% of remaining duration
    • Extended debuffs: Reduced to 5% of remaining duration
  • Turtle Master fully replaced by Slowness
  • In siege zones, debuff removal is allowed

Patched Exploits:

  • Trade shift spam (trades blocked in combat)
  • Command whitelist (only chat and siegewar commands allowed)
  • Hit cooldown manipulation and knockback stacking
  • Respawning in a PvP zone with spawn protection

Server Performance: Can It Handle a Siege?​

This was the big question. The answer is looking like yes.

Spark Report Comparison.

The Before & After:

  • Before: 13.46-17.78 TPS, 53+ MSPT, 40 players, server struggling.
  • After: 19.92 TPS, 37.6 MSPT, same 40 players.

We gained over 6 TPS. Here’s what we did:

Optimizations Applied:

  1. Entity Cull & AI Optimizations: Reduced average entities from ~8,000 to ~6,500 (a 19% decrease). All passive mobs are checked for groupings to be optimized for pathfinding and other intensive operations.
  2. Chunk Load: Reduced by 19% with smarter loading and unloading.
  3. Redstone: Reduced ticking by 12-16% of the total thread.
  4. Async Shifts: Moved more non-critical checks off the main thread.

What This Means:
We have about 12ms of headroom on the main thread before things get laggy. That's our buffer for when a siege kicks off with pearling, potions, and 20+ players in one siegezone.

The Final Push: Three more optimizations are ready in-case more are needed.

Our Goal: Under 35 MSPT at 60-75 players with farms running. If we limit grinders? Could see under 25 MSPT at 50+. If we can't reach a stable PvP experience, expect mob grinders to be limited or fully removed via the rules in the near future.

SiegeWar: Playtest #2 Changes and Upcoming Playtest #3​

All the above sets the stage. Now for the siege-specific changes.

Confirmed for This Test:

  • Siege Capture Timer: 7 minutes -> 4 minutes (faster, more intense).
  • Friendly Fire: Disabled (stop killing your own team, this was strictly an issue on the alpha server)
  • Commands Freed: Chat commands can be used anywhere.
  • Knockback II Kit: Added for testing.
  • Combat Tag: Now correctly clears on death.

Pending Fixes For Playtest #3:

  • Unable to /t spawn into enemy towns during war
  • Milk bucket debuff removal allowed in siege zones sometimes not working
  • Situational pearl glitch
  • SiegeTPs enabled

Siege Ruleset:

  • Weekend windows
  • 48-hour cooldown after a successful siege.
  • Conquest & Plunder casus bellis (opt-in)
  • 9 battle sessions, 90 minute grace period, 4 minute capture timer
  • Disabled items/blocks in siegezone: obsidian, ice, cobweb, tnt
  • Keep Inventory ON

Timeline & The Road Ahead​

The priority is clear: Get SiegeWar stable and released.

  1. First: Final playtest with all the above changes.
  2. Next Week: If it's stable, full SiegeWar release.
  3. Soon: Moon Map (by @shosancold, @cloverblond, @9hilly, @marsonus) with KOTH & Conquest, and Citadel
  4. Later: Mars Map (the bigger project)

Time to see if it all holds together. -Mars