FAQs
How do I use X?
I wrote an entire help dialogue. Use it. It covers everything. '/bending help <x>', like '/bending help display', '/bending help fireblast', etc.
Can you make this a singleplayer mod?
No. Asking me to make a singleplayer mod of this is like asking a lawyer to sit down and do some particle physics. Bukkit coding and singleplayer coding are nothing alike. Plus, with how incredibly simple it is to set up your own local, private server, there is absolutely no reason to want this for singeplayer when you can just do it yourself.
How do I set up a no-bending area?
Version 1.0.7 of the plugin supports both WorldGuard and PreciousStones. In 1.0.7, if WorldGuard or PreciousStones deny someone the ability to PvP, they also deny them the ability to bend. However, this has been changed in the dev build. Bending now respects the build flag of WorldGuard, PreciousStones, Factions and Towny. If any of these plugins deny someone the ability to build, they also deny someone the ability to bend. However, as this was put in place to prevent griefing through bending, currently the dev build allows people to use harmless abilities in regions that are protected - like AirScooter, WaterSpout, etc. Additionally, in the latest dev build, Bending will not allow fire or explosions in places where certain plugins have denied fire or explosions.
Why did you choose to attach Bending to the build flag, and not the PvP flag anymore?
This came after very much thought, and is really the only way to go. Since a lot of bending creates or displaces terrain, the build flag is the flag most resembling a flag that should be used for bending - especially since PvP flags are still indeed respected by Bending (an EarthBlast cannot hurt someone if the PvP flag is denied). This flag is also far better for many exploitable reasons. For example, imagine an area where building is denied but bending is allowed. You could use EarthGrab on a waterbender or non-bender and they would be permanently trapped there, since they cannot jump over it and cannot dig their way out or place blocks as steps. Similarly, a waterbender who freezes someone with Surge could permanently trap them, provided they are neither a water- or firebender. Thus, the build flag is the only way to go. This is really non-negotiable.
"Can you add Bloodbending?"
Bloodbending is in the current dev build, but is by default an op-only ability. It is way too powerful (as I warned), and no, there is no way to balance it, ever. Period.
"Can you add Metalbending?"
If you absolutely must (and I don't recommend it, it's kind of useless), you can change the list of blocks earthbenders can bend in the config to allow them to bend metal.
Lightningbending is lame!
First off, it has to have that huge miss chance so it's not OP. However this miss chance is configurable. Secondly, yes it must come from the sky. Bukkit currently has no method to do any type of custom animation/particles that would make lightning come from the player instead.
X is OP, Y is UP, buff/nerf Z!
In my experience, everyone thinks something is overpowered or too strong or the like. The catch is, there's no concensus. Know what that indicates? A pretty well balanced plugin. I am quite pleased with the dynamics of bending, and while there will be tweaks and bug-fixes here and there to alter the power of some benders, I am overall quite happy with the balance. Nothing you say is going to change that.
Air needs more offense! Fire needs more defense!
Have you seen the show? Airbending was almost never used to harm anything or anyone. It is a very defensive and passive element, and I have done the same here in this plugin. I will not be changing that. Similarly, firebending is nearly entirely offensive, with a few utility things here and there. Everything in this plugin is firmly based in the series, and that will be the case for forever. I will not take creative liberties, as there's enough material in the show to make the plugin robust enough; and I will not do things to appease players which goes against the entirety of the Avatar universe.
Why do chiblockers have so few abilities?
Originally chiblockers were going to get absolutely no abilities - they were a class that would be made by their incredible passive. However, the passive turned out to be too strong, and I needed to reshuffle some things to not make them overwhelming. Thus, they were given standard damage and their RapidPunch ability. I wanted to make them a tad more robust, and a tad less immobilized by certain bending (EarthGrab, etc), so I gave them Paralyze and HighJump. They will not get 9 abilities like other benders, as their passive is still incredibly powerful. Many suggestions have been made (like climbing walls, throwing darts and shock gloves), but none pass muster to be included in the game. If chiblockers get anything more, it will have to be something specific to the chiblocker discipline, not something that you just see most chiblockers with. For example, shock gloves (which can't be done anyways, but that's beside the point) have nothing to do with chiblocking at all. Neither do darts. Climbing walls was something that was not limited to chiblockers (see Sokka), which means it is not chiblocker specific. This means that if I add anything to the chiblocker repertoire, it has to be something that is specific to chiblockers (or something that is absolutely crucial for chiblockers to have to live, like HighJump was).
"Add a glider for airbenders / add item X / add mob Y!"
Yes, airbender relied on gliders, but there is no preexisting item that is a satisfactory facsimile for a glider that I would be willing to use to allow airbenders to glide. And I am not adding an item (or a mob, with regards to Appa, Momo, etc) as that is client side. The goal of this plugin is to require nothing on the client's side.
"Can you make it so we can bend rain?"
No, for technical reasons there's no way that can look/behave nicely.
"Bend water from a bucket?"
For convenience to the player, this will not be done. If you must, carry some plants with you and drop them to use the water or drop the water and use it. There will be bending from water bottles though.
"Make a leveling system!"
No. This is not an RPG. It will never be an RPG. A leveling system should be decided by the server operator, and can easily be implemented with permissions. Make groups, like "Novice, Apprentice, Expert, Master" and put the abilities there that you think should be there. Then just give them access to the higher groups when you feel they've advanced. Tada.
"Make mana/energy/chi required!"
No. Not only is there no good way to do this visually and interactively server-side, it fundamentally goes against everything set in the series. Name one episode where someone struggled to bend because they lacked the required energy. There's only one episode where they even mention exhaustion from bending, and that was in The Drill after cutting through an enormous steel pillar. And even then, they never stopped, showed no further signs of fatigue, and went on to fight directly afterwards with no ill effects. Bending time and again is nearly effortless on the shows (with a few minor exceptions, like Bumi launching the statue of Ozai off Omashu, but even then he wasn't worn he was just struggling with something so large), and it will be that way in this plugin, period.
"The Config File is Blank!"
This is supposed to happen. At startup, the default values will be used for EVERYTHING. If you want to change this, you can edit the abilities as you wish. Go to the wiki linked at the top of the page, search for the ability / feature you wish to configure, copy the configuration details into your config.yml file. Simple as that. However, the new dev build has this change reverted - a full config is generated anytime the plugin is loaded.
Add language support!
It's already there in the dev build. I may get to writing a tutorial soon. For now, if you're so inclined, download the dev build and run the server once. It will generate a language.yml file.
- Open language.yml
- Under "SupportedLanguages:", add something like "ch". For example, it would be
SupportedLanguages: - en - ch
- Save the file, close out. Restart Bending (by restarting your server or by doing a /b reload), then stop the server.
- Re-open the file. It's now twice as big, with a whole section under "ch:". You can edit all the messages there to whatever you'd like. When you're done, save it and start the server.
To use this language, do "/b language ch". Do "/b h language" for more information.