First, thanks VERY much for all your comments, especially Tyler and MrCheese for careful testing. As for the dev being on break - I didn't code this weekend because my friend got the game and we had a great time playing it. :) I'm back to coding this week.

I'll fix bonemeal, pistons, trampling and chest minecarts - thanks SO much for those bug reports! You're right about pressure plates, wooden doors and trapdoors, fence gates, and note blocks being accessible without permission by design. Note that if you want to keep somebody out of your fenced area, you can use an iron door with a switch - however your animals are protected from damage anyway (though they can be stolen by luring them with wheat).

About /trust, I'll check on that. I'm certain I tested it, but I'll look again. /trust should definitely grant full permission for another player.

About finding out who owns the claims and where their boundaries are - you can currently research claims using a piece of string. I'm planning to experiment with temporary blocks (glass walls) to illustrate the claim's boundaries. If it works cleanly, I'll tie it in with the string tool. I won't, however, notify on claim entry/exit. It's way too expensive, given that I've decided to track claims as a whole rather than individual blocks (thus dodging a database requirement). I'm also planning to update the error messages with claim owners' names so that you can check ownership without a string.

About administrative permissions, those are in the plans - admins will have the option to ignore claims and even delete them. It's not super-high on the priority list right now - I want to get the major features testable first, then come back for config variables, permissions, and performance tuning. I'm also planning "bonus claim blocks" to be granted by administrators for whatever reason - donating to the server, winning a contest, etc.

@Nazerb:

If the server crashes or shuts down, grief prevention shouldn't have the opportunity to run any disconnect code, so nobody will be penalized for logging out. I can't be certain yet because that bit isn't coded, but I'll test it when it's ready.

I don't think there's a good solution for picking a chest at random, and even if I could, I think most would want me to disable that feature because there's a chance a player could get seriously robbed (by chance). Players will work around it anyway by creating like 30 extra chests with nothing in them, or hiding all of their chests in walls, which would be an ugly result.

I know that many admins view tree topping as "grief", although not all of them. If I promise to make a plugin which will stop grief, I have to at least offer this feature. Of course it will be disable-able for anyone who doesn't want to use it, or prefers another tree top plugin. I'm not trying to do "everything", just "everything grief".

I think any list of blocks I choose to designate "soft" will be highly controversial. Nonetheless, I'll start with a list that can't be changed to see how much yelling there will be, then decide based on that. On the one hand, I want players to get a similar experience on every server so that when they change, they don't have to relearn. On the other, I don't want admins passing all the goodness in this plugin just because they disagree over what a "soft" block is.

Block replacement will be too expensive to implement, I think. Anyway the soft blocks will be easy to replace - I won't be designating any valuable, rare blocks as "soft". If you build a house of glass, well then that's a big risk you take (if you're on a PvP server, with this plugin and the siege functionality enabled, which will be off by default).

I won't add an option to delegate claim security to another player. I think very few players will ever use it, and then they'll almost always regret it. Besides, it feels too much like claim sharing, which I'm working hard to avoid so that griefers won't start using claims as a griefing tool. If I hear a lot of requests for that, I might change my mind, though. :)

There will be an option to have the claim extend to the bedrock. The default of having it extend only a few blocks into the ground is designed to prevent players from claiming ore they haven't found, yet. Imagine your annoyance if you find some diamond deep underground, only to discover that because some newbie built a dirt hut on the surface above you, those diamonds belong to him.

Allowing for teleportation is controversial because it often ends up being an easy-out to get out of combat or to avoid getting lost in your own mine (thus eliminating what little challenge there is in adventuring). If you want the convenience of teleportation balanced against other gameplay elements, consider PopulationDensity. :) I'm trying to keep this plugin strictly anti-grief.

@micdoodle8

Hi again! :) It's good to hear I have a fan. Thanks very much for your compliments!

@burtthaman

I hope you're right about pop density + grief prevention, because that's the dream. :) Imagine it - two plugins, turn on server, everybody has a good time.

On the economy topic, I'm sort of with you, but not entirely. I don't have any issue with a setup that promotes bartering or inventory-based stores and auction houses (like muttsworld), because if you barter to get what you want (diamond?), at least someone had to have originally found that diamond in the world. When a server allows for converting any block to a money amount, then converting your money to any block, I think it undermines the Minecraft experience a little, because you're effectively allowing players to convert a giant pile of crap (not requiring adventuring) into a small pile of awesome (which should require adventuring).

But anyway, that's all beside the point. :) Because this plugin is about grief. Sorry for the sidetrack.

Hey all, claim sharing is in (0.4 Beta)! Look to the description above for the related commands. I also extended claims 5 blocks into the ground, in response to unbuntu10's feedback. Thanks, Unbuntu!

@burtthaman

They do have to purchase claims, but there is no economy integration. This is a "fix" for the griefing problem, so I'm going for a solution with minimal change to the core game, so it's not possible to purchase blocks. The only way to get a larger claim is to hang out more on the server, although I'm considering adding an admin command to grant a player bonus blocks (rewards for winning server competitions or a way to monetize claims with real money). If you want in-game economy integration, you'll have to settle for Residence or another plugin which aims to change the way Minecraft is played.

I don't want to force players to give up their noob claim, but I think they will give it up anyway when they move on. If they don't have enough blocks to create the claim they want, a message reminds them they can abandon other claims via /abandonclaim and /abandonallclaims. Since players presumably want to use up all their available claim blocks to maximize the size of their main build, I expect most will delete their noob claims on their own, or expand them.

Players use the shovel to create a claim of the size and shape they want by using the shovel at the corners of their claim (and potentially creating multiple adjacent claims). So there's no size setting necessary, which simplifies the whole process. Download it and switch to creative mode to get your shovel, and it will be suddenly much clearer than I can explain with paragraphs of text (I think). I expect that after a player gets his golden shovel, his first order of business will be to delete his current claim and then use the shovel to enlarge and/or move it to a new location.

An inexperienced player might build right at the edge of his claim boundary, but you're right, I don't expect experienced builders who understand the system to make that sort of mistake. Remember that windows and weak walls are also potential points of entry. Also remember that you can jump a lot farther by jumping off a higher scaffold or nearby hill, and also by sprinting and/or using speed potions. Those points aside, as I mentioned in the description, it's totally possible for any near-noob to make a 100% impenetrable build by just using some stone blocks and an iron door with a button - but a great designer can create something that is safe, looks pretty cool, includes all the living space, storage space, farming space, and various crafting gear he needs, includes ingenious gadgets to combat or escape siegers, AND fits in his claim. Does that sound like a worthy challenge? :)

The 500 block initial number is temporary, to give all of you guys plenty to work with while you play around and send me feedback. Probably the initial value will be 100, which is exactly the number of blocks in the minimum-size claim.

@ubuntu10

Okay, I'll make 5 the default. Sounds reasonable. The config variable to change it will come a bit later, though.

@Xordaii

There will be an option to have all claims reach to bedrock, but no option to prevent them from reaching to the sky. This is because any claim not reaching to the sky is susceptible to griefing by building overtop it. Note that the "cost" of a claim is the same regardless of how high or deep it goes - the number of available claim blocks required to stake a claim is measured in horizontal blocks only (parallel with the surface).

Because I know some servers will still prefer to use other plugins, all features will be configurable (and disableable). For example, if you have another plugin which takes care of spam, then you can disable the spam check.

About your PvP disabling notes, yep, that's the plan. You'll list the worlds where you want to disable PvP, and where you want to enable siege.

Regarding per-player PvP flagging, I won't include it. Any feature which allows a player to PvP when he's well prepared and be invincible when he has something to lose results in a no risk in losing = no reward in winning situation. If you want the excitement of victory and phat lewt, you must, in fairness, accept the risk of defeat and loss of valuables.

About tree tops, the overall result would be approximately the same - if it took you 30 seconds to take down an entire tree before, it still takes you 30 seconds. The only difference you'll notice is that you don't have the option to leave a tree top hanging, because the whole tree falls at once. I think it's important to add this balancing factor, because I don't want to empower griefers to take down entire forests in minutes. Anyway a config variable for this is easy enough to add, but I'll default it to "on". At any rate, there are many tree top elimination plugins already available, and you'll always have the option to disable Grief Prevention's tree top feature and use your other plugin instead.

I'm glad you like the idea! Should have the sharing code in this week, and hopefully, the spam code in over the weekend.

@Xordaii

Yes, the claims are world-specific. Players can claim land in any world (including nether and end worlds), but they have to create those claims separately. Claiming an area in one world doesn't claim the same coordinates in any other worlds.