What Is BeardStat and Why Your Minecraft Server Needs It
Running a Minecraft server is about more than just keeping the blocks ticking. You want to know who your most dedicated players are, how they spend their time, and what kind of chaos they cause. That is exactly where BeardStat comes in. BeardStat is a statistics tracking plugin for Bukkit-based servers that records a staggering variety of player actions and presents them in a clear, accessible way. Whether you are a server admin looking to reward loyal players or a developer wanting to hook into rich gameplay data, BeardStat delivers a robust, database-driven solution that goes far beyond basic playtime counters.
Key Features That Set BeardStat Apart
BeardStat does not just track one or two metrics. It builds a complete picture of every player's journey. The plugin stores data per world, giving you granular control over what gets logged. You can even blacklist specific worlds or game modes from tracking, so your creative test world does not pollute your survival leaderboards.
Comprehensive Stat Tracking
Every meaningful action is recorded. Here is a snapshot of what BeardStat monitors automatically:
- Login and logout timestamps, plus total playtime
- Block placement and breaking, including sub-types like wool colors, log variants, and metadata-rich blocks
- Items picked up and dropped
- Damage dealt and received
- Kills and deaths, with entity-specific breakdowns
- Food consumed
- Sheep sheared and dyed
- TNT detonated
- Distance traveled on foot, by boat, minecart, horse, or pig
- Items crafted
- Animals tamed
- Teleports
- Fishing catches
In-Game Commands That Empower Players
BeardStat is not just an admin tool; it gives your community direct access to their own data. The plugin introduces several straightforward commands:
- /stats – Opens the main hub for all statistical information.
- /played – Shows a player’s total playtime at a glance.
- /laston – Returns the exact date and time a player was last online.
- /statpage – Displays a curated selection of stats, perfect for integration with Bukkit’s command aliasing system.
The Web Interface and Scoreboards
BeardStat comes with a web interface that takes your server’s stats beyond the game client. Players can view their own profiles and compare with friends directly on your server’s website. The built-in scoreboard system ranks players by categories you choose—total playtime, creepers killed, distance traveled, or any other tracked metric. This turns raw data into a competitive, community-building feature that keeps players engaged long after they log off.
Installation and Getting Started
Setting up BeardStat is straightforward. You need a Bukkit-compatible server and a supported database—SQLite works out of the box for smaller servers, while MySQL is recommended for larger communities. Drop the plugin JAR into your server’s plugins folder, restart, and BeardStat will create its database tables automatically. Configuration allows you to set which worlds to track, define scoreboard categories, and tweak command permissions. If you prefer a more visual approach to managing your server’s mods, the foxygame.net launcher provides a convenient, flexible, and modern Minecraft launcher where you can download plugins like BeardStat right from the menu, making installation a one-click affair.
Plugin Integration and Developer API
One of BeardStat’s strongest assets is its rich API. Other plugins can tap into the stat database to read or record custom metrics. Stats are identified by a unique ID built from four components: domain, world, category, and statistic. The default domain is used by BeardStat itself, but developers are encouraged to use their own unique domain to avoid collisions. For example, a PvP arena plugin could use the domain “pvparena” and even leverage the world field to represent individual arenas like “old_forge” or “broken_bow.” This flexible structure means you can build achievements, leaderboards, or entirely new gameplay loops on top of BeardStat’s data.
Several plugins already integrate with BeardStat, including BeardAch for achievements and SimpleSpleef Evolution for spleef match tracking. The API documentation makes it easy to query playtime, block counts, or any recorded stat, so your custom plugin can reward players for reaching milestones without reinventing the data collection wheel.
Metrics and Privacy Considerations
BeardStat includes the Plugin Metrics system originally developed by Hidendra, the author of LWC. This collects completely anonymous information about your server’s deployment—Minecraft version, server version, country-level location, and database type. The data is aggregated into graphs that help the developer understand how the plugin is used. If you prefer to opt out, you can disable metrics in the configuration file. No personally identifiable player data is ever transmitted.
Development Builds and Issue Reporting
For server admins who want the latest features before an official release, development builds are available from the project’s continuous integration server. Keep in mind that these builds have not been approved by BukkitDev staff, so use them at your own risk. When grabbing a dev build, download the JAR file rather than the ZIP, as the web interface in ZIP packages may be incomplete. If you encounter bugs, the issue tracker on GitHub is the place to go. Always include a full stack trace, plugin version (including build number), Bukkit version, and database type to help the developer resolve the problem quickly.
Why BeardStat Is a Must-Have for Serious Servers
BeardStat transforms your Minecraft server from a simple multiplayer world into a data-rich community hub. It gives you the tools to recognize dedicated players, create engaging scoreboard competitions, and provide transparency that keeps your playerbase invested. The per-world tracking and blacklisting options mean you never have to worry about skewed stats from minigame arenas or test zones. Whether you run a small survival server with friends or a large network with custom game modes, BeardStat adapts to your needs.
The plugin’s active development, open API, and growing ecosystem of integrated plugins make it a future-proof choice. As Minecraft updates roll out, BeardStat’s modular design ensures that new blocks, entities, and mechanics can be tracked with minimal fuss. For admins who love data, for players who crave recognition, and for developers who want a solid foundation to build upon, BeardStat delivers a complete statistics package that few other plugins can match.