With the upcoming opening of the Starmine PvP server, i gave a few people some help with final proofing of the spawn. In my time there, however, i came across a few oversights that could potentially, or are currently, creating problems of some sort. As this section is back up and running, i felt it fitting to post them here.
I am not an expert or authority on the subject at hand, but i do in fact have well more experience than most and a large accessible knowledge pool from others that is well more than worth taking seriously, please kindly bear that in mind.
Lag
As a few of people have already mentioned in varying places, there is some amount of issue with lag in the spawn area of the new PvP. While checking, we found a number of things at least partially guilty of causing said issue. Some of these have already been changed, others are for consideration of changing, or to keep in mind as those who may not know are helping to build.
-Flowing Lava
This is one of many things that seems innocuous enough, but can actually be a very large memory sink and a difficulty on low end computers. Lava on its own can be a mild lag inducer, however the flow is what really turns it up to 11. The way MC handles flow usually relies on the block/entities it touches as it flows, an example being how grass breaks when water flows over it. In lavas case, the lava itself handles all the updates, having to calculate how it will flow and interact with the terrain, lighting updates, what blocks will and will not burn (regardless of fire spread status) mob damage and interaction, and even particle generation. All this leads to it often being a major issue in PvP settings where lag minimization is tantamount, especially around the spawn arena where 1v1s are likely to be held.
-Redstone ( Torches, in this case )
In checking the spawn it was unfortunate to see so many redstone torches in use. From the seemingly simple idea of using them to power lamps, to the obscene amount that were discovered spread pointlessly and lackadaisically beneath walls, floors, and staircases, they proved to be greatly to blame in the lag department. In addition to the particles and lighting updates they share with their coal-born relatives, they also generate block updates, constantly recalculating what blocks around them they are "powering" and how thing around those blocks may interact with the current. Even when used in moderation they can be problematic, much less when used as unthinkingly as they apparently had been. With the advent of ceiling placement of levers, there is little if any occasion calling for their use in lieu of their toggle-able twins.
-Showcase
Unlike the original incarnation of starmine PvP, Showcase, or possibly Showcase+, was opted to be used so it would seem. Showcase as a whole has quite the iffy track record, having been found a direct link to instability, repeated crashes, and at times save corruption. Not to mention the constant sprite that makes up the actual body of showcase. Showcase+ does have a slightly better record, but is still greatly unproven, and always linked to lag creation.
-NPC Plugin
Npcs are strange, and uniquely problematic. They are counted neither as Mobs, players, block entities, or sprites, but rather a combination there in. not to forget the scripting of their head tracking, and dialogue. Having played ( far too much >//> ) with this plugin, i know just how much of a lag sink it really is in every way, an of everything, to be blunt, should really to removed, or minimized to as few as is possible.
Misc
To finish off, here is a place for the random other things to be considered.
-Spawn wilderness/safezone/area conflict
This could be by design, or simply an oversight. The area directly surrounding the PvP arena in spawn is actually counted as wilderness currently. Meaning it could be claimed, griefed, or most frustratingly, camped. Just imagine someone hiding in the area around the arena killing those commuting to or from the arena. its simply something to be checked on.
If anyone else has issues, please feel free to post them here to make sure there known.
I do hope this information helps make for a smoother and more enjoyable, lag free experience! :3
~Mao
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