DO NOT Update GriefPrevention to 11.3 or later until you've updated your server to the LATEST 1.8.3 (this will require re-running buildtools.jar to get an updated 1.8.3 server jar file). This is unavoidable, and due to a change made by the Spigot/CraftBukkit team somewhere along the way in 1.8.3 development. Symptoms of an outdated 1.8.3 server include errors logged during boot, explosions destroying blocks where they shouldn't, and entities like armor stands, item frames, and animals NOT being protected.

Recent Major Changes

• Selling accrued claim blocks - Version 11.0.2 and higher. If players sell accrued blocks, those blocks will NOT re-accrue over time.

• Nether portal protections disabled by default - Version 10.6 and higher. For sake of performance, the feature which prevents nether portals from being created in land claims without permission (by creating a nether portal at the corresponding coordinates in another dimension) is turned off by default. You can enable it in your config file. This "grief" is very difficult to execute, opportunities to attempt it are rare, and it's surprisingly expensive to prevent. Even when it works, the "victim" might actually be appreciative, since he didn't have a nether portal nearby already.

• PvP worlds reset - Version 10.4 and higher. This area of the config file has been frustrating for many for a long time. I've rewritten it to be more readable, much easier to edit, and now you can have an empty PvP worlds list on a PvP server, if that's what you want. When you update to this version, you will have to customize this part of the config file again (if you ever customized it at all).

• Finding offline players by name - Version 9.0 and higher. For sake of performance (not producing lag), players and admins can only target offline players who've recently logged in with Grief Prevention slash commands like /trust, /transferclaim, /claimslist, and so on. I plan to keep working on this to make all players targettable without causing a lag problem. This limit on who can be targetted is a temporary solution to work around a problem introduced by the CraftBukkit team when they made the switch to support player UUIDs.

• UUID Conversion - Version 8.1 and higher. During boot, an often very slow, one-time conversion process will replace player names in your data with player UUIDs. This process can take as long as one second for each player who has EVER played on your server. Make a backup before you upgrade, and please be patient. If this process is interrupted, you'll have to restore from backup and start over. This change will ensure players who change their names will not lose claim blocks or access to their land claims. If there's a problem, I need to know whether you're online/offline/bungee, whether in database or flat file mode, I need your boot logs from the conversion attempt, and if possible, a snapshot of your data from before the update.

• Disabled worlds in config - Version 8.5 and higher. If a world is "disabled" for land claims, then no land claims which already exist in that world (including administrative land claims) will be protected. For those upgrading from an earlier version ONLY, to ensure all existing land claims are protected, GP has defaulted worlds which were disabled to allow claims again, including player-made land claims. If this isn't what you want, update your config.yml.

• Piston limiting - Version 8.1.7 and higher. Pistons won't move blocks outside of land claims. This is a huge performance win, but if you want the old rules back, there's a new config option to disable this rule. Yes, players do get an explanation/warning when they place pistons outside of land claims, to avoid confusion for newly-placed pistons.

• /DeathBlow Removed - Version 9.3 and higher. It's no longer necessary, since the items players drop on death are now protected. This protection is on by default in non-PvP worlds, and off by default in PvP worlds. You may customize it in the config file. You can still use /kill to kill a player, although /kill will not send the player's inventory to another player as /deathblow did.

All Recent Changes

11.6.2 Updates

• Once in PvP combat, a player can't just step over the line into a protected area when he starts losing the battle. Players who are in PvP aren't protected from PvP by land claims until they've gone 15 seconds without attacking or being attacked (default value - see PvP cooldown in your config file).
• Admins can use /ignoreclaims to attack players in land claims where they would otherwise be protected.
• Performance improvements for data storage.
• Fixed database migration (was briefly broken after the /ignore feature was added).

11.6.1 Updates

• No claiming land during PvP combat.
• Players offline for up to 90 days are now targetable with slash commands (was 30 days).
• To get sign notifications in-game (in the chat), use griefprevention.eavesdropsigns, instead of just griefprevention.eavesdrop (which still works for whispers).
• There's no more permission to automatically bypass pvp protections in land claims. Instead, use /ignoreclaims to toggle that bypass on and off.
• Output from /claimslist and /trustlist is now customizable in messages.yml.
• Stopped trying to auto-fill big holes in creative mode worlds. It was valuable when sea level is set correctly (see config file), but problematic when that setting is incorrect. I decided to make that trade-off.
• Better logging for secondary storage (file system or database) problems.

11.6 Updates

Added /ignore, so players can help themselves when there's no admin online to use /softmute and shut down a problematic chatter. Also helpful in reducing drama, which nobody likes. In addition to ignoring standard chat messages, an ignored player also can't use any whisper commands (see GP config file) targeting the player who's ignoring him.

Added /separate, an administrative command which forces two players to ignore each other. They are not notified, and can't see the force-ignored player on their /ignorelist. When two players can't get along but you don't want to totally /softmute either of them, this is a good option. Required permission: griefprevention.separate

11.5.2 Updates

• Disabling creature protections in the config file will now allow villagers to be attacked without permission inside land claims.
• Added a new config option so that server owners may allow anyone to trade with villagers, even in land claims where they have no permissions.
• Fixed sign placement entries in server logs not including the placing player's name.

11.5.1 Updates

• Added per-defender /siege cooldown.

• Performance boosts for equipping the golden shovel and delivering claim blocks.

11.5 Updates

• To combat using bots (or multiple accounts in general) to fill a server's slots so honest players can't connect, there's now a limit to how many players can connect at the same time using the same IP address. There are exceptions for players who have exhibited "human" behavior. :) You can change the limit in your config file, but I recommend giving the default a try first, since increasing the limit increases your vulnerability to this type of "attack".

• /AdjustBonusClaimBlocks (/acb) now works with player UUIDs.

• Removed formatters from the abbreviated logs for better readability.

• Improved sign formatting in abbreviated logs for better readability.

11.4 Updates

• Major new feature! Now server owners can quickly and conveniently review what happened during the time they were offline using GriefPrevention's new abridged logs. Unlike the noisy server logs, these logs are very selective about what they include and formatted for easy reading. They also automatically delete themselves after 7 days (default), and may optionally include GP administrative activity, like admins deleting land claims or giving players bonus claim blocks for example. Use this feature to make the most of other GP features like /softmute and suspicious bucket logging! :)

• Fixed explosion protection config settings. Now all permutations work - for example you could allow explosions only IN land claims, or only outside, or only outside below sea level, or everywhere or nowhere... and the /claimexplosions command will enable explosions for individual land claims temporarily.

11.3.2 Updates

• Added support for RoyalCommands plugin.
• Fixed /restorenature bugs associated with setting the sea level very low.

11.3.1 Updates

• Configuring GP to not protect horses now also stops them from being protected from damage in land claims.

11.3 Updates

DO NOT Update GriefPrevention to 11.3 or later until you've updated your server to the LATEST 1.8.3. If you do, explosion protection and other critical anti-grief features will NOT WORK. This is due to a change made by the Spigot/CraftBukkit team.

• Fixed standard explosions destroying blocks where they shouldn't in 1.8.3 servers.
• Fixed plugin-generated explosions (Essentials Protect, Extra Hard Mode, Cannons, etc) destroying blocks in 1.8.3 servers.
• Hoppy Easter! - Spawn eggs now require build permission in survival worlds (they already did in creative worlds).
• Hoppy Easter! - Dragon eggs now require build permission to teleport (left or right click).

11.2.2 Updates

• Fixed players selling spent claim blocks with /sellclaimblocks.

11.2.1 Updates

• Faster almost everything.
• Faster visualizations.
• Fixed PvP immune players being able to attack pets.
• /ClaimExplosions and the config option to enable explosion damage in all claims both override the sea level protections now. Exception: Still absolutely no explosion damage in creative mode worlds, where griefers have unlimited TNT.

11.1 Updates

• Fixed PvP rules applying in worlds NOT in the PvP worlds list.
• Added a config option to allow explosions to damage claimed blocks. The griefing potential is big - please don't enable this unless you have another plugin to limit the damage, like for example CreeperHeal.
• Better logging for blocked chat messages (the reason for the mute is recorded).
• Better sign notifications and logging.
• Signs with IP addresses not on the allowed list are now blocked.

11.0.2 Updates

• Fixed a bug which sometimes caused players to be unfairly punished for logging out on servers which use WorldGuard to limit PvP.
• Removed a debug log message (oops, how embarassing!).
• Fixed some clever players keeping PvP immunity while having inventory by receiving items via other plugins.

11.0.2 Updates

• When you have server economy integration enabled, players can't sell accrued blocks anymore, only bonus blocks. Also when they buy, those purchased blocks go into their bonus blocks.
• Fixed abandoning subdivisions penalizing blocks when optional abandon return ratio feature is enabled.
• Fixed ender pearl teleportation putting players into pvp combat mode.
• Reduced tolerance for IP address spam.

11.0 Updates

• Now "suspicious" water and lava bucket dumps will be logged (player name, fluid type, and coordinates).
• Villagers will now take damage from monsters, even in land claims (this was intended before, but a bug prevented it).
• Minor performance boost for visualizations.

10.9 Updates

• Eating cake now requires /containertrust or higher permission.
• Fixed a protection bug involving slime blocks.
• Made boot a lot faster for servers who have seen lots of players.

10.8 Updates

• Added a new claims mode you can use in your config file, "SurvivalRequiringClaims". This will work well for servers who have a separate resource world and want to limit their players to building only inside their land claims in other worlds, and very badly for other server types. This has some potential design problems (how do they get a golden shovel? What if they die and lose it?), which are yours to solve in the way you think best fits your server.
• Cancelled ender pearl teleportations won't consume the ender pearl anymore.
• /sethome now requires /accesstrust or higher permission. You may disable this or add more slash commands for this rule in the config file.
• Added griefprevention.siegeimmune permission to make a player immune to the /siege command.
• Added /setaccruedclaimblocks (/scb) to set accrued blocks to a specified value. They will auto-correct if you set them above the maximum you've set in your config file, or if you set them less than zero. /acb is still the best choice for almost all situations, but if you need this, now you have it.

10.7.1 Updates

• Fixed players selling their initial claim blocks.
• Perf boost for boot sequence (file and db modes).
• Bug fixes for /claimslist output.
• Tweaked spam filter tolerance for similar messages.

10.7 Updates

• Claimed animals can't be poisoned with splash potions anymore (minor issue - poison doesn't kill).
• /TransferClaim without any player specified will make a claim an administrative claim.
• /TransferClaim doesn't change player bonus blocks anymore.
• /TransferClaim now requires griefprevention.transferclaim permission.
• /GivePet now requires griefprevention.givepet permission (all players have this by default).
• /ClaimsList <otherPlayer> now requires griefprevention.claimslistother permission.
• Automatic claim block count fix-ups. If a player has fewer than the initial claim blocks accrued, that will be corrected by increasing accured blocks. If a player has more total land claimed than he has claim blocks (bonus or accrued), that will be corrected by increasing accrued and/or bonus blocks. Neither of these will happen instantly, but rather over time as players with these issues log in and play.

10.6.3 Updates

• Fixed dispenser arrows damaging claimed animals (recently broken by environmental damage to minecarts changes).
• Fixed self damage putting a player "in combat" and therefore subject to GP's PvP rules.

10.6.2 Updates

• Animals and monsters won't trample crops anymore (players were already covered).
• Fixed /GivePet not working in PvP worlds.
• Cauldrons now require at least /ContainerTrust to fill or empty.
• Minor fix for UUID migration on very large servers.

10.6.1 Updates

• Untrusting a player in a top level claim will now also remove that player's explicit permissions in any subclaims of that top level claim.
• Bug fix for UUID migration.

10.6 Updates

• Hoppers will no longer pick up protected player item drops due to death, preventing lethal traps from stealing them.
• For sake of performance, the feature which prevents nether portals from being created in land claims without permission (by creating a nether portal at the corresponding coordinates in another dimension) is turned off by default. You can enable it in your config file. This "grief" is very difficult to execute, opportunities to attempt it are rare, and it's surprisingly expensive to prevent.
• Admins with both adminclaims and deleteclaims permissions may now resize another player's land claim to smaller than the minimum.
• UUID migration is now a lot faster.

10.5.7 Updates

• Made expanding chest claims a little easier for new players.
• Fixed database connections going stale on some servers.
• Fixed a UUID migration bug for database mode servers upgrading from very specific earlier versions.

10.5.6 Updates

• Fixed rabbit theft using jump splash potions and carrot bait.
• Now GP knows about the WorldGuard override permissions, which makes the WorldGuard compat feature work more smoothly for admins.
• Claims expand down faster now when you build underneath one you're allowed to build in.
• Removed the "claim creation requires permission" option. Now it's always on, and all players have permission by default. You can use a permissions plugin to take away custom land claim privileges for specific players or all players.
• Might have worked-around the mcMMO bug which allows players to inflict "bleed" effect on protected animals.

10.5.5 Updates

• Fixed players trampling crops (broke it last version, my mistake!).
• Performance boost for player interact event.

10.5.4 Updates

• Fixed claims expiring too fast on new creative mode servers.
• Fixed data migration rolling back claim blocks for some players with uppercase letters in their names.

10.5.3 Updates

• Fixed a minor protection bug stemming from a Vanilla bug.
• Fixed "someone" instead of player name for players in their first session on your server.
• Fixed an admin chat message having an unclickable link in creative mode worlds.
• Fixed a database migration bug.
• Fixed a UUID migration bug.

10.5.2 Updates

• When creatures tramping crops is allowed, player-controlled mounts will no longer damage crops.
• When players log in, they have to move at least one block before they can chat (this is an anti-botting strategy). Players who've earned the trivial "got wood" achievement on your server are exempt from this rule.

10.5.1 Updates

• Attacking a villager in a land claim now requires build trust, since villagers are potentially a major investment. Interaction (right click) is still container level trust.
• Because item frames and armor stands are decorative, they're part of your build's aesthetic and now require build trust to destroy. Interaction (right click) is still container level trust.
• Fixed visualizations showing at most one subclaim. Now they show them all again.
• No more log spam about grass. This was a debug message related to sheep eating grass that I accidentally left in. :\
• Added a 10-minute cooldown period for being warned about building outside of your land claims.
• Greatly improved the performance of the "claim block delivery" task.

10.5 Updates

• Interacting/trading with a villager now requires container trust (same as animals other inventory).
• Inverting a daylight sensor (right click) now requires build permission.
• /rnf now works better in grassy areas.
• No more sign notifications for signs which contain only spaces.