WorldTimer: Smart Time Management for Your Minecraft Worlds
Running a Minecraft server often means balancing freedom with structure, especially when you want to limit how long players can spend in specific worlds. The WorldTimer plugin offers a clever solution, letting you set per-world timers that automatically kick players out when their time is up. Whether you're running a minigame hub, a resource world, or a special event dimension, WorldTimer gives you granular control without complex command blocks.
What Makes WorldTimer Stand Out
Unlike basic time-limit plugins, WorldTimer is built with persistence and flexibility in mind. When a player leaves a world or logs out, the timer pauses. Upon returning, they pick up exactly where they left off, preventing any exploitation by simply relogging. This makes it perfect for worlds where you want to enforce a daily or weekly play limit, such as a dangerous mining dimension or a premium donator area.
Core Features at a Glance
- Per-world independent configuration — set different timers for each world
- Customizable messages for warnings, expiration, and cooldown
- Teleport players to a specific location when their timer expires
- Configurable cooldown period before re-entry is allowed
- Multi-world support with full compatibility across your server
- Timer pauses on logout or world change, resuming exactly where it stopped
- Lightweight and efficient, with adjustable check intervals
How the Timer System Works
The plugin operates on a simple principle: every world listed in the configuration gets its own timer value (in seconds). Once a player enters that world, a countdown begins. The plugin periodically checks if the player's time has expired — you control how often this check runs with the checkIfExpiredEvery setting. When the timer hits zero, the player is teleported to a predefined location and receives an expiration message. If a cooldown is set, they can't re-enter until that period passes.
One of the smartest touches is that the timer stops when the player leaves the world or disconnects. So if they have 5 minutes left and log out, they'll still have those 5 minutes when they come back. This prevents frustration and keeps the system fair.
Setting Up WorldTimer: A Step-by-Step Look
The configuration file is where the magic happens. It's written in YAML and is straightforward to edit. Below is a breakdown of the key settings you'll need to define for each world.
Essential Configuration Options
- timer: The amount of time in seconds a player can stay in the world (e.g., 900 for 15 minutes).
- cooldown: The time in seconds before a player can re-enter after being kicked. Set to 0 to disable.
- continueCooldownOnLogout: If true, the cooldown timer keeps ticking even when the player is offline.
- locationOnExpire: The world name and coordinates (x, y, z) where the player gets teleported after their time runs out.
- timerAddedMessage: The message shown when a player first enters the world, telling them how long they have.
- returnMessage: Displayed when a player re-enters after leaving, showing remaining time.
- timerExpiredMessage: The message sent when the timer expires and the player is kicked.
- onCooldownMessage: Shown if a player tries to enter while still on cooldown.
You can list as many worlds as you want under the Worlds: section, each with its own set of these options. For example, you might give your "mining_world" a 30-minute timer with a 2-hour cooldown, while a "pvp_arena" could have a 10-minute timer and no cooldown. The plugin is flexible enough to handle complex setups.
For those who prefer a streamlined experience, the foxygame.net launcher makes it easy to install mods like WorldTimer directly from its menu, offering a convenient and modern way to manage your Minecraft server plugins without digging through file directories. This can save you time and reduce setup errors, especially if you're running multiple custom worlds.
Commands and Permissions
WorldTimer keeps things simple with just one command and two permissions. This minimal approach ensures it doesn't bloat your server's command list.
Available Commands
/wt reload— Reloads the configuration file, applying any changes without restarting the server.
Permissions
- worldtimer.bypass — Players with this permission are completely exempt from any world timers. Ideal for staff or VIP ranks.
- worldtimer.reload — Allows the use of the reload command. Typically granted to admins.
Because the plugin relies on permissions, you can easily integrate it with any permission management system like LuckPerms to assign bypasses to specific groups.
Practical Use Cases
WorldTimer shines in scenarios where you want to create scarcity or controlled access. Here are a few ideas:
- Resource worlds: Limit players to 30 minutes per day in a mining world to prevent over-farming.
- Event dimensions: Grant access to a special holiday world for 15 minutes at a time, with a cooldown to build anticipation.
- Donator perks: Offer premium members access to a VIP lounge world for a set duration each week.
- Minigame lobbies: Force players to exit a game world after a match ends by setting a short timer.
The ability to pause the timer when leaving the world also makes it great for survival servers where players might need to quickly return to the overworld to drop off items, then come back without losing progress.
Why Choose WorldTimer Over Alternatives?
Many time-limit plugins simply kick players after a fixed global interval, ignoring per-world needs or failing to pause on logout. WorldTimer addresses these gaps with its persistent timer and independent world configurations. The cooldown feature adds another layer of control, preventing immediate re-entry and encouraging players to plan their visits.
The plugin is also actively maintained, with its source available on Github for transparency. The configuration is well-documented, and the periodic check system keeps server performance in mind — you can adjust the check frequency to balance responsiveness and resource usage.
Final Thoughts
WorldTimer is a must-have plugin for any server owner who wants to manage player time in specific worlds with precision. Its per-world settings, pause-on-leave mechanic, and cooldown system provide a robust framework for everything from resource management to event gating. With straightforward commands and permissions, it integrates smoothly into existing setups. Whether you're running a small community server or a large network, WorldTimer helps you enforce fair play and keep your worlds exciting.