Server setup

Fabulously Optimized is a strictly client-sided modpack, meaning it works and behaves mostly the same on every server that allows vanilla clients.

The CurseForge listing has a section of "server packs", but those are actually just the legacy MultiMC versions that are marked as server packs for better visibility.

Disclaimer: all content on this page are just suggestions. If you need any help with server setup, please ask in the respective mod or platform support site.

Tips

• Use speedy server software

• Protect users from chat reporting

• Give users flexibility with client version

• Restrict mod behaviours, not names

Software

For server software it is recommended to use Paper, Pufferfish or Purpur, which are performance-optimized forks of Spigot, but support all the same plugins. Using Realms is not advised.

If you still like Fabric a lot, you can install it on a server as well and use server-side optimization mods, including those in FO.

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Chat Reporting

Minecraft 1.19.1 added a feature that lets users report chat messages to Mojang. This is unwanted for most servers, as it can result users being banned for things that are allowed by server rules.

How your server works in Fabulously Optimized

The following icons show the status of the server. Icons are shown on the bottom right corner of the chat box.

• 1.18.2 or below (e.g. ViaVersion): FO users will see .

  • Chat reporting is disabled for everyone. On vanilla clients, gray bars are displayed on the left of the messages.

• 1.19 or up:

  1. Using one of the mods/plugins: FO users will see

     • Chat reporting is disabled for everyone. On vanilla clients, gray bars are displayed on the left of the messages.

  2. In other cases, FO users will see until they send the first chat message.

     1. If enforce-secure-profile = true (default), FO users will see .

        • Chat reporting is enabled for everyone.

     2. If enforce-secure-profile = false (recommended), FO users will see .

        • Chat reporting is enabled for vanilla users' messages and disabled for FO users' messages. On vanilla clients, gray bars are displayed on the left of FO users' messages.

• Realms: FO users will see .

  • Chat reporting is enabled for everyone and Mojang monitors all chats.

How to protect your users

Make sure you follow all steps that match your server's configuration, not just one of them.

• All 1.18- backend servers: no changes necessary, chat reporting doesn't exist.

• All 1.19+ backend servers: set enforce-secure-profile to false in server.properties

  • This doesn't disable chat reporting by itself, but allows users to join without requiring them to sign their messages, to protect their privacy.

  • If no other measures are taken alongside this:

    • FO users will see and their messages cannot be reported.

    • Vanilla users will see a warning toast in the top right corner and their messages can be reported. To avoid those problems, use one of the plugins/mods below.

• Velocity: set force-key-authentication to false in velocity.toml

  • Same comments apply as for "all 1.19+ backend servers" above.

• BungeeCord/Waterfall: set enforce_secure_profile to false in config.yml

  • Same comments apply as for "all 1.19+ backend servers" above.

• Paper/Purpur/Pufferfish: install the FreedomChat plugin.

  • Ensure rewrite-chat, claim-secure-chat-enforced and send-prevents-chat-reports-to-client are all set to true inside the FreedomChat's config file to make FO users see a icon near chat.

• Fabric/Quilt/Forge: install No Chat Reports

  • FO users will get a icon near chat.

• Realms: impossible to circumvent seamlessly; Mojang monitors all chats in Realms!

  • Consider encrypting your chat messages to protect yourself,

    • You obviously need to let other members of the server also know how to do that and what method/key will you be using.

  • There is a workaround datapack where you can use a book to chat, but you are only protected if you use it instead of normal chat text box.

  • Consider getting a real host to avoid surveillance altogether (affiliate link - 25% off first month).

• LAN worlds: host from Fabulously Optimized or install No Chat Reports on the client

  • FO users will get a icon near chat.

• LAN-like worlds (e4mc - in FO, World Host, Essential etc): host from Fabulously Optimized or install No Chat Reports on the client

  • FO users will see and their messages cannot be reported.

This section is also reposted to No Chat Reports wiki.

Client version flexibility

Ever wondered, how some servers are able to update the same day a new Minecraft version is released? Chances are, they are using a plugin that enables this without having to change the server version (yet).

ViaVersion and ViaBackwards are plugins that transform the network packets to let users join your server with a different client version. This is especially welcome for users who mod their client, such as Fabulously Optimized users, as not every mod is updated as soon as the new version of Minecraft is released, so users may be inclined to use outdated clients for a bit longer.

P.S. Before continuing, make sure you have disabled chat reporting, otherwise the plugins cannot work.

• ViaVersion lets users join with a newer client version. For example, if your server is still using 1.19.2, this will let users join with 1.19.3 and later.

  • By default, ViaVersion allows users to join from your server's Minecraft version up to the latest stable Minecraft version. This can be filtered in the ViaVersion configuration file.

  • Download for: Paper/Spigot/Purpur/Velocity/Waterfall | Fabric/Quilt*

• ViaBackwards lets users join with an older client version. For example, if your server is using 1.19.4, users can join with 1.19.3 and older.

  • By default, ViaBackwards allows users to join from Minecraft 1.8 up to your server's Minecraft version. This can be filtered in the ViaVersion configuration file.

  • Any new blocks, items and entities will be shown as older types with equivalent properties (like mobs of similar size or blocks of similar breaking speed). Users with newer clients will see them as normal.

  • Download for: Paper/Spigot/Purpur/Velocity/Waterfall | Fabric/Quilt*

Depending on your server, you can choose to use only ViaVersion or both. If your server is hub-based, it is recommended to install the plugin(s) to each backend server and not the proxy itself.

* Fabric/Quilt versions can also work in the client, though this is not advised due to potential conflicts with anticheats. It is recommended to keep it on the server only. Quilt support is untested for both server and client.

Mods in rules

Some servers tend to put a list of allowed mods into their rules. While it may sound like a good idea in theory, it actually creates more problems due to its vagueness.

DON'T: "Only OptiFine allowed." - this would disallow Fabulously Optimized, despite it having mods that do exactly the same thing.

DO: "Performance and visual-enchancing mods are allowed." - this would allow Fabulously Optimized in your server without requiring further clarification.

DON'T: "Only minimap mod X is allowed." - the players would only depend on that single mod's updates, even if there are alternatives available.

DO: "Any minimap mod with player radar disabled." - this allows users to use any minimap mods by configuring them by theirselves. Many minimap mods also have server-side enforcement options.

DON'T: "Maximum 25 mods can be used." - this would already disqualify Fabulously Optimized, as it has more.

DO: (don't mention it) - arbitary mod count limits do not benefit anything at all.

DON'T: "Only Forge mods are allowed." - Fabulously Optimized does not use Forge.

DO: (don't mention it) - restricting certain mod loaders or clients is bad for the user and harmful for the Minecraft ecosystem as a whole. Just restrict behaviours.

Other recommendations:

• Get voluntary moderators for your server

• Use anti-cheat plugins: Paper/Spigot or Fabric/Quilt